Minister under fire over corps members’ posting
July 14, 2012 by Niyi Odebode, Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja and David Attah, Kaduna 12 Comments

Prominent Nigerians and groups, including the Trade Union Congress, on Thursday criticised the Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, for insisting that National Youth Service Corps members must be posted to states under attack by Boko Haram.

The President-General of the TUC, Mr. Peter Esele, described the minister’s statement as shocking and irresponsible.

He stated, “The reason why we have NYSC is for national integration. What we have now is different from that. The challenges that the corps members are facing threaten their lives.”

Esele faulted the minister’s comparison of military personnel with the NYSC members.

He said, “As military personnel, it is their calling to be posted for security duties because they signed for it and they are prepared.

“That is not the situation with the corps members. What the corps members are doing is not what they want to do. If you ask them, none of them would agree to be posted to those places.

“I am shocked that the minister made such a statement. It is so sad and shocking. Instead of looking at the failure of the state to protect lives and property, he (the minister) is saying corps members should agree to serve anywhere they are posted to.”

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, described the minister’s statement as highly insensitive.

He said the minister’s statement was disingenuous and uncharitable.

Fashakin stated, “The CPC is averse to the efforts of the Federal Government in stemming the tide of insecurity in the land.

“The usual rhetoric of ‘we are on top of the situation’ is no longer acceptable when Nigerians now sleep with palpable shambolic fear for their lives and property.

“It is insensitive to compare service men to corps members. What had been done by this government as compensation for families of the corps members that were harmed in the past?

“Can the minister give a list of his children and close relatives that would be deployed in these theatres of insurrection as corps members before asking the same of other Nigerians? If he is not capable of doing this, he should consider his statement as very disingenuous and uncharitable.”

The spokesperson for the Ijaw Republican Assembly, Ankio Briggs, said that the people in charge of affairs of the country had no clue to what was happening.

She stated, “Clearly, it shows that this minister has no clue at all. If he has, he will not be saying such a thing. As a parent, I believe that the NYSC has no value for the Nigerian youth and the country. Tell me, what is the value?

“On a personal note, my children would not go and serve in the North. They are sending other people’s children to go and die, these corps members they are sending to the North, are they soldiers? Did they sign to go and die?

“The minister has no business being a minister. In fact, I am calling for the scrapping of the NYSC. If the NYSC is not scrapped, then people should go and serve in their own zones where we know that they will be safe.

“We are talking about corps members who were trained by their parents and guardians and not by the Federal Government.”

A former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, warned the Federal Government against any move to endanger young graduates in the country by sending them to trouble spots.

He stated that the presence of soldiers of peacekeeping mission in Jos and other parts of the North had not prevented the recurrent killings in the North.

The former commissioner stated that even armed policemen took to their heels during the violence in Jos.

He said, “Soldiers have been on peacekeeping operations in the North, but still they kill people. These young people just left school and they want to cut short their lives. They should try and beef up security before posting them there.

“In Jos, there were policemen and they ran away, why didn’t soldiers go there to protect them? So, that minister does not know what he is talking about.”

Also, a former member of the House of Representatives and former governorship candidate of the ACN, Mr. Uche Onyeagucha, challenged the minister to lead by example by sending his children to the troubled areas and even relocating his office to either Yobe or Borno.

He challenged the minister to sign an undertaking that he would be held responsible for the death of any corps member on posting to crisis-ridden spots in the country.

He said that it was inconceivable for any corps member to be posted to the troubled states, even when security operatives and policemen on posting to the areas were lobbying to get out of there because they were scared. According to him, some of them would have bought themselves out of the North if not for a standing instruction by the IG that all transfers out of the troubled areas must be brought to his attention. He said the minister’s statement was regrettable and unfortunate as the President himself had admitted openly in a recent media chat that he could not fly to Maiduguri because of the security situation.

He urged corps members to refuse postings to such trouble spots.

“It is simple; it is not as if this thing is mandatory, if you are posted to a state you don’t like, the thing is for you to reject it, and you repeat the service, and you will be posted to another state. The most reasonable thing is to reject it if you are posted to such areas.

“As I am talking to you, there are several military officers, who are posted to Borno, Yobe, Kano and Kaduna, who are lobbying to get out of those states.

“There is hardly any police officer, who is not working hard to get out. This means that the riot policemen who are armed are scared, why then should anybody post any corps member to those areas?” Onyeagucha asked.

However, the Arewa Consultative Forum would not embark on an outright dismissal of the minister’s comment, saying he was right in some way.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani, said that assignments such as the NYSC were national sacrifices expected from Nigerians.

He said, “In a way, the minister is right because such assignments are sacrifices Nigerians are expected to make for the country.

“However, we must not lose sight of the Hausa adage which says, ‘Idan Yaro na kiwuya, baba na rowa,’ meaning if the child refuses to go on an errand, it means the father refuses to be generous to the child.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/minister-under-fire-over-corps-members-posting/

Useless man

Another mad muslim. Is it the religion that attracts these people or is it that these people find the religion?

Johndoe100: Another mad muslim. Is it the religion that attracts these people or is it that these people find the religion?

Now, what has his religion got to do with this?

Anywaz @ topic, if he has any children who are doing NYSC this year, they shuld be posted up North, particularly to Borno and Kano.

Some politicians live so far from the reality of things that they begin to pressurize their comfort zone on the regular Nigerians. tsk tsk, it's quite sad.

Jeka bere lati Mr. Fresh-Air and Mr. We-are-on-top-of-the-situation.

Goodluck is scared of going to Borno, Soldiers and Police officers are lobbying to evacuate that place. Yet this useless man is reccommending the youths to go serve boko harams by donating their body parts.

boyendowed: Useless man

Stupid Man Looks like a clown.Worthless fool

I was looking for the reaction of the Nigerian Student's Union but saw non, who else should call for the immediate sacking or resignation of the 'evil' minister? if I may ask what happened to the spirit of 'Ali must go'?

cogitoErgo: I was looking for the reaction of the Nigerian Student's Union but saw non, who else should call for the immediate sacking or resignation of the 'evil' minister? if I may ask what happened to the spirit of 'Ali must go'?

I have asked myself that question several times and still asking, where is NANS?

Na so

Peter Esele of all people still has the guts to talk abi? He thinks we have forgotten about his betrayal in the fuel subsidy struggle,may thunder fire his mouth. Iiddiioott. But of what necessity are the SUG's and NANS in particular?are they not suppose to champion this fight with their last blood??
The minister is another useless man,if you look carefully he has none of his children schooling in nigerial talk less of sending them to school in the north.

Nice work!

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, described the minister’s statement as highly insensitive.

He said the minister’s statement was disingenuous and uncharitable.

Fashakin stated, “The CPC is averse to the efforts of the Federal Government in stemming the tide of insecurity in the land.

“The usual rhetoric of ‘we are on top of the situation’ is no longer acceptable when Nigerians now sleep with palpable shambolic fear for their lives and property"



@the above statement
See CPC still talking ooo,are they not the cause of this present mishap befalling innocent corpers in the north??may God punish buhari

Idjit see his fat ugly face,and hez sposd to be minister for youth devlpmnt,do these peopl go to skool at all,cos it beats me how an educated fellow wud utter such irresponsbl giberish

I tire for Nigeria Government ooo imagine this idiot trying to send our youth to deadly zone

Parents should not allow their children to serve in any part of the north that Boko haram is tormenting them. We are still crying and refuse to be consoled for the precious youth who lost their lives while serving their father's land last year.

NYSC, will die a natural death.

It is callous and irresponsible to send youths to serve in insecure situations. To avoid too much disruption to what is a certainly a great and purposeful program , All corps members should serve in their states of origin and get their certificates as normally done.
The interstate national service can be restored when we have a capable president and a capable government that can ensure security of it's citizens.

Wish I cld shoot him in the forehead tru this picture while he falls n dies right in that useless office of his.

The 1st mistake was appointing a man from Northernistan to be the minister of youth development.

He should send his children first to the Chaotic areas of the north before sending another person child. He didn't train the corp members he's forcing to serve in the barbaric North. He should be sacked!

Johndoe100: Another mad muslim. Is it the religion that attracts these people or is it that these people find the religion?

What it your Problem, This is not a religion bashing thread, Hold your fingers if you have nothing meaningful in your head to say

What do u all expect;what is shockin in what dis minister has sed;wen d head himself says a lot of unbelievable things,things u least expect frm a supposed ph.d holder& a president,what do we expect frm equally ill educated,incompetent,lacking intellect subordinates.U can't give what u dnt av

I bet his children don't sTudy here.......useless mallam

ifihearam:



@the above statement
See CPC still talking ooo,are they not the cause of this present mishap befalling innocent corpers in the north??may God punish buhari

You are wrong , PDP sacrificed the corpers to rig elections. Don't be ignorant , investigate.

ojofu:
I have asked myself that question several times and still asking, where is NANS?

They are busy at the Villa eating casava bread & Shouting.. TRANSFORMATION!!! TRANSFORMATION!!!
TRANSFORMATION!!!
Fresh Air!!!!

Fat bastards.GEJ and FG want to use youth corpers for rituals.thunder go kill their family if any corper dies via youth service .rubbish

Ganys:
What it your Problem, This is not a religion bashing thread, Hold your fingers if you have nothing meaningful in your head to say

What is the meaning of "religion bashing"? Why do you twerps always prefer someone to coat the bitter truth with honey in order to make it sound sweet in your ears? Mr. Johndoe said what is indeed the truth, and you're here talking bollocks. The plain truth is that Islam is responsible for this mess we have on our hands. To make matters worse, only a Muslim can make such a callous and insensitive statement made by the foolish minister; callousness is a pre-condition for being a devout muslim. They are all animals that are always baying for blood.

The question we should be asking is; Of wat use is NYSC to any Nigerian? A failed state; where everybody has his back and that of his family members alone! Is it worth dyin for any one when all we think of doin everyday; is hw to steal from others, kill others, loot what is meant for everyone, serve our personal gods we believe in, and kill others in the name of killin for this god or that god! These corps members are just not sensible! Is very simple; go on social network sites; get to knw who who and who is posted to ur own state of assignment(supposedly a troubled zone) form a formidable team and outrightly reject ur postings there and stick to what eva decisions u take as a team! If u can meet each other face to face and arrange things, simple!

Bloody fool he has eaten so much national cake now his head is looking like over blown puff-puff IDIOT.

Did I actually hear dis dumbass minister comparing NYSC to the Nigerian civil war where lives have to be sacrificed? This guy must be smoking dry grass! SMH!

pro01:

What is the meaning of "religion bashing"? Why do you twerps always prefer someone to coat the bitter truth with honey in order to make it sound sweet in your ears? Mr. Johndoe said what is indeed the truth, and you're here talking bollocks. The plain truth is that Islam is responsible for this mess we have on our hands. To make matters worse, only a Muslim can make such a callous and insensitive statement made by the foolish minister; callousness is a pre-condition for being a devout muslim. They are all animals that are always baying for blood.

YAWN!!!, It will be suicidal to start my WEEKEND answering a clownish bigot like you...Eat my Pooo