the bulk of the 95,000 fresh
graduates mobilised by the National
Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the
compulsory one year service to the
nation began arriving at NYSC
orientation camps which opened
across the country yesterday, July 5,
it is, indeed, apt for Nigerians to
pause a moment and consider the
task before these young Nigerians
who are being called to serve the
nation at this difficult time in our
national history.
2011 Batch B corps members are
beginning their service year at a
time when many have started
questioning the necessity for
continuation of the scheme. Indeed,
if there was ever a time when a
large number of Nigerians felt that
the scheme ought to be scrapped or
restructured to address its
noticeable challenges, it is now.
Still fresh from the callous murder of
10 youth corps members in Bauchi
during the April post-election; the
loss of four more to an accident on
their way to Enugu from Plateau
State a fortnight ago; the reported
murder of another two by armed
robbers in a banking hall last week;
continuing bombings and killings in
Maiduguri, Bauchi and Abuja and
other places in the Northern part of
the country, it is clear that the
compulsory national service has
become an assignment that is not
for the lily-livered.
Already, there are reports of some
graduates opting out of the service
out of fear of the places they were
posted to for their primary
assignment. Although this is against
the provisions of the law setting up
the scheme, it is an understandable
reaction to the growing spate of
insecurity in the country, which
security agencies have so far mostly
been confronting with assurances of
their resolve to ensure “security” of
the people.
This fear of being deployed to the
North has, this time, gone beyond
individuals to educational
institutions. At least one university,
the Adekunle Ajasin University,
Akungba Akoko, Ondo state, which
lost a graduate in the post-election
murders in Bauchi, has asked the
management of the NYSC not to post
its graduates to the Northern part of
the country.
The university, in a statement by its
Principal Assistant Registrar,
Information, Protocol and Public
Relations, Mr. Sola Imoru, said the
university decided to cry out
because of fears expressed by
students and members of the
institution’s alumni association on
the sporadic bombings, killing and
other forms of violence in Bauchi,
Borno, Plateau, Yobe and other
states. The university says corps
members should be allowed to serve
in their respective regions.
It is, therefore, important for the
government to put in place
unassailable security arrangements,
not only for the members, but all
Nigerians. Restiveness in the
country, especially in the North,
must be dealt with if the region is to
continue enjoying the services of
youth corps members.
The challenges facing the scheme
are, however, multi-various. Beyond
the fears over security and the call in
many quarters for youth corps
members to be allowed to serve in
their regions, is the need for
comprehensive overhauling of many
aspects of the programme.
It is clear, for example, that the
allowances paid to the corps
members have long been overtaken
by inflation and the harsh economic
realities of today. They are long
overdue for a review. It is surprising
that all corps members are paid a
flat rate of N1,500 for transportation
to their places of primary
assignment. Even those posted from
one end of the country to the other,
such as from Imo state to Borno or
any of the states in the North,
receive N1,500 for the journey. And,
even that amount is only refunded
when the graduates get to the camp.
It is not paid upfront, thereby
leaving many indigent in a quandary
on how to source funds for the
journey.
Should a country that truly cares for
its youths pay a young person
traveling to distant and unfamiliar
parts of the country N1,500
transportation allowance when it
will cost no less than N4,000 to
N5,000 to undertake the journey?
And, the fact of the matter is that
many of these graduates are truly
indigent. Many are the hopes of their
families. N1,500 transport fares paid
to corps members for transportation
should be increased to at least
N5,000. Even such N5,000 cannot
meet any logistics challenge on the
journey, such as the breakdown of
the vehicle, feeding or any health
challenge that may arise.
Corps members are paid a bicycle
allowance of N1,000 for local
transportation. Let arrangements be
made to increase it, if not for this
batch, for future corpers.
Worst of all, youth corps members
are paid a monthly allowance of
N9,500 a month. For young men and
women living so far away from their
homes and natural environments,
N9,500 is grossly inadequate, either
for feeding, transportation or to take
care of their health challenges.
N9,500, for God’s sake, amounts to
less than N2,500 per week!
How exactly is anyone supposed to
feed, transport, house himself and
take care of medical exigencies
where he has no family member
with less than N2,500 a week? It is
true NYSC regulations say employers
of corps members should
accommodate them and pay an
allowance for their transportation.
We all know this is not the case in
most organizations to which corpers
are deployed. Some organisations,
including some state governments
pay only N3,000 monthly to corps
members. Most organisations,
especially in the South West, do not
provide accommodation for the
youths, thereby, leaving them to find
wherever they can to live during the
period.
It is very sad that many housemaids
earn far more than youth corps
members, some of who are doctors,
engineers and accountants today.
In fact, in a place like Lagos, no one
dares offer the most illiterate driver
N9,500 as salary.
If drivers cannot, therefore, take a
monthly salary of N9,500, why pay
such a miserly sum to youth corps
members? The allowances of the
corps members should be increased.
Luckily, increase in the national
minimum wage to N18,000 was
promised by the Jonathan
administration on May 1, 2010,
Labour day, last year. Since then, it
has not been implemented.
Let the government go ahead and
implement it. If there is anything
that is delaying it, then let the
corpers’ allowances be increased
while work continues on the
minimum wage issue.
It does not make sense to pay
graduates amounts that are not paid
to cleaners and you expect them to
be patriotic. In this regard, some of
the corpers who chose to return to
Bauchi after escaping the post-poll
violence deserve to be praised.
These ones are putting their lives at
risk in the service of their nation!
One other critical thing that many
state governments should look into
is the issue of upgrading their
orientation camps. Many orientation
camps do not have electricity at all.
They rely only on generators that are
put on only for a few hours a day.
Some hostels used as camps have
broken doors and windows, thereby
exposing the corps members to
avoidable problems. Some of the
hostels lack toilet facilities. Corps
members in at least two states that I
know have to wake up in the thick of
the night to take their bath away
from the prying eyes of others. They
go to toilet in the bushes
surrounding the camps. This is not
good at all. Governors should be able
to provide a better welcoming
environment for the youths who are
essentially their guests. These are all
issues that need to be addressed. I
believe the NYSC needs to be better
funded and properly monitored to
ensure that funds allocated for the
orientation periods are judiciously
utilised.
The one-day a week Community
Development (CD) that corps
members participate in also needs
to be rejigged. The truth is that very
little community service is being
done these days. In addition, local
government staff need to be
properly motivated and guided on
the appropriate attitude to corpers.
In addition, workers of the NYSC
involved in the camping experience
need to be motivated to do their job.
It is not easy for any worker to be in
the uncomfortable camp
environment for almost three
months in every given year. i.e. 3
weeks each for each of the three
batches of corps members mobilised
every year!
Here is wishing the Batch B 2011
corps members a fruitful and safe
service year. Let them remember the
essence of the programme: Service
to fatherland but be watchful for
their safety too. Ajuwaya!