The recent killings of the corps member posted to Borno state, Miss Grace Ushang had led to the visit of the NYSC Director, Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga to the State and addressed the other Corps members in the State with a promise from both the Director of SSS and Commissioner of police, that the assailants would be apprehended.

It would be recalled that the same NYSC DG has been in Borno State, two months ago to personally supervise disbursement of sum amount of money to corps members whose properties were destroyed in the recent Bako Haram crises that rocked the state.

Some of these untoward acts are what corps members who are rendering services to father land are contending with across the country and it appeared such will go on unabated as perpetrators of such dastard acts have often been left unpunished. Or how would one describe a situation where three innocent souls who knew little or nothing about the local government election held in November 2008 in Plateau State, would be butchered to death and yet their killers roam the streets on daily basis without molestation.

The trio of Ibukun Akinjogbin, Tola Odusole, and Leke Adeleke, who were on National service in Jos, were sacrificed in the post election violence that engulfed the city and neither were the perpetrators persecuted nor apprehended. Their parents and family members were left in eternal anguish, tears and sorrow.

Away from unwarranted killing of corps members, we have also witnessed gross and human treatment being meted out by some wicked employers of youth on National service in recent times. More often than not, supposed employers of youth corps members, have played on the intelligence of the state secretariat of the scheme by requesting for the service of these graduates, only to be converted to slaves, or casual laborers in their respective establishment. The belief of some of these wicked beings is that they are the ones that are rendering help to corps members by saving them from roaming the streets in search of places for primary assignment. Their evile go unchecked and it appears as if it would not be curtailed.

Decree 24 of 1973 that mandates graduates who are under the age of 30 to serve fatherland for 12months was meant to foster unity, and cross-cultural relationship among people of different backgrounds that cohabit in Nigeria.

It is however unfortunate that recent ugly developments like those highlighted above have rather being rubbishing these fundamental objectives.

Instructively, many Nigerians have queried the continuous retention of the scheme in our educational curriculum. They have asked government to scrap the programme and allow parents to enjoy fruits of their labour having expanded life time fortunes in such children. Although, government has not taken any step in this regard, as it is most likely that it would not do; it is pertinent to remind ourselves the hard truth, that continuous failure of law enforcement agencies to apprehend perpetrators of evil acts against corps members, would only fuel people’s desire to have such laudable programme scraped once and for all.

It believes on all those concerned to strive hard and ensue that the culture of impurity that permeates every facet of our national life is drastically reduced, if not totally eradicated.

Grace Ushang’s case must not go the way of others. The lady must not die in vain. Her parents and millions of Nigerians want justice to be done, failure of which may likely give a tacit approval to several other atrocities on youth corps members.

Prior to all these atrocities, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ade Abolurin assured of the corps collaboration with the NYSC to facilitate and give standard security to corps members even in orientation camp. This was pronounced during the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) coordinator the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Mr Obong Ata’s visit to the NSCDC head quarters in Abuja. Credibility was also given to the corps for support given to the scheme to detect fake corps members in orientation camp.

We believe the scheme had suffered too much of bashing but needs a lot of support for standardization. The calling off of the scheme will not stop several atrocities that will still happen to man –qui sera sera.

We are calling for the support of every one, be it the government and individuals especially. Individual support will help improve the securities and acknowledgment of corps members.

Besides, the scheme had helped in the aspect in patriotism, carrier, rural development, economy and if NYSC is given all its priviledges, it will actualize its aims and objectives in the country.
Whether it has over use its existence or not, it is yet to be discovered. Watch out for people’s opinions from the next edition.