Reality of the day and my careful studies about the National Economy with a keen interest to assessing NYSC on her current day credibility and importance with regards to National economy challenges at hand; have to my surprised revealed further the more Economics Importance of the Scheme in our present day economy. Her importance to addressing such problems like deficient human capital resources, youths and infrastructural development etcetera. These revelations are with little regards to the 3Rs which are Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation that led to the birth of the SCHEME in the year 1973. This is why this article could also be seen as “A CALL FOR THE REBIRTH OF NYSC”, hence the title.
The initial birth was out of the desire to achieving the 3Rs Agenda of the then administration, led by General Yakubu Gowon as Military President and Col. Ahmadu Ali as the pioneer Director General of National Youth Service Corps. The Scheme was viewed as a suitable mechanism in achieving two major Rs out of the 3rs Agenda, particularly that of the Reconciliation and Rehabilitation, these deemed it fit to be regarded as “a means to an end”.
Of recent our bonds and formidable forces for National Love, Pace, Unity and Progress are obviously seen losing, and are getting weaker by the day. We are clearly phased with a lot of questionable National Leadership challenges, low level of self/leadership integrity, considering decency, accountability, underdevelopment of infrastructure with absent or low attention for equity and equality, challenges of job dissatisfaction and unemployment among the Nigerian youth and others.With these aforementioned national issues, it is a pleasure in my best assurance to get back to Nigerians once again that NYSC is a valid answer and possible instrument to ameliorate the current deplorable state of our social-economy, if genuinely given a priority to lead from the front and her activities are well checkmated.
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has the mandate to teach and encourage various (leadership) skills and creativities via her Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurial Development-SAED as a full department on its own. In her kit for training and orientation are three major instruments that can conquer our national issues and or influences our personal life styles positively. These should be duly upheld with all vigour and attention. These instruments are Discipline, Leadership and Humility Service. These are the required instruments to rebuild our National, Leadership and Political systems in particular, and the answer to all other leadership questions that the nation is confronted with today. Our national leadership has been devoid of integrity, as they majorly focused on self-gain and are usually accused of corrupt practices that have held the country in this likely standstill position which is responsible for all our problems summarized earlier. Coincidentally, our present day youths have become the victims, hence faced with pressure and doomed in the dilemma therein.
With the three major tools in the NYSC KIT, we can revive our nation, if the scheme is adequately empowered to deliver this mandate for our country, Nigeria. National development and success emerge through discipline which could be cooperate or personal/self-discipline. Integrity is an act of discipline, Humility and selfless services are rare virtues to acquire, in a similar manner that skill acquisition and hard workability are contributing factors in achieving greatness and success in life. It is my belief that nation can never be built by a wall of bricks and stones, but built by education as a sure able foundation upon which our future is to be built via teaching, orientation and training. Admittedly, I doubt what we, the youth in particular are learning today. Show me the famous leader or achiever in a country that the youths emulate and focused on, and I could tell you the future bearing of the nation. Education is what NYSC should ideally stand for by looking into her aims, objectives and the core values.
In achieving our agenda and quest to fight corruption as a nation, the top priority of the present day administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari, and the expected Nigerian leadership continuity of the fight into the future, these should be the advice in line with a quote that “if a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel they are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are father, mother and the teacher” Abdul Kalam. This quote makes it obvious that Mr. President alone cannot fight this fight of corruption but a fight of all and sundries. Our political leaders and other top government and private sector office holders are the supposing fathers and mothers in this context while NYSC is the educational institution that should teach the youth our core national values and life priorities which could build the future that is expected of us as Nigerian Youth. This is the NYSC mandate as an institution with the finishing touches obligation after our circular school education.
I finally beseech the government and Mr. President in particular to give attention to youth empowerments and keen attention to the SCHEME as the presidency brain-child in building human capital development.This will reduce pressure on our parents and will to a greater extent better our economy and the attitude of the people. This should also be a wakeup call to all service corps members and parents to downplay and reduce their rapt attention on defect areas of the scheme and focused more on the great strength and positive impacts of the scheme on participants and their future life. This is not to say they are perfect but any attitude to discourage participants from the fullest benefits of the scheme either by the Judas among the NYSC staff or parents and members of the Nigerian society will be considered a rebel and disservice to this nation, a frustration of the majority effort to build this country a home of equal opportunities for all which is the vow inherited from our heroes and heroines past.
AARON ELEOJO UMORU
Umoru is Author of “The worth of National Youth Service Corps Scheme-Certificate Not License to Wealth” and wrote in via umoruaaron@yahoo.com
