National Telescope national telescope newspaper
As the National Youth Service Corps in Oyo State marks the 50th anniversary of the NYSC, the Federal Government have been enjoined to make provision for life insurance for Corps Members.
A Professor from the Department of Counseling and Human Development Studies, University of Ibadan, Rotimi Animashaun, made the call while delivering the 50th Anniversary lecture at the NYSC Secretariat in Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday.
Speaking on the theme, “NYSC: Five Decades of Fostering National Unity and Development”, the Professor stated that the scheme had lived up to its mandate of national integration and cohesion since it’s establishment fifty years ago.
He also said there is a need to widen the scope of the scheme to cater for the after life of the teeming youths mobilised for national service.
He said, “Nevertheless, I would encourage the scheme to be strengthened and be dynamic in it’s operation. All hands on deck towards sanitizing the society. Let the Government be alive to her responsibility to protect the citizens. Let the members of NYSC learn about security education and let there be provision for life insurance for the Corps members.
“He noted that the NYSC had introduced laudable initiatives including Community development service and Skills Acquisition Entrepreneurship Development,(SAED), noting that starter packs should be provided for the corps members to curb the rate of unemployment in the country.
“The government should be able to provide for these teeming youths and widening the scope of NYSC will go a long way especially in rectifying the issue of unemployment rate in the country.”
“There should be a sort of provision for corps members passing out of the scheme many of them would want to further their education, let there be a provision in this regard to encourage them. Some may want to venture into business let there be adequate funding because the youths are the strength of the nation.”
He however advised the government to tackle insecurity which according to him could serve as threat to the sustenance of the scheme.
“The current state of insecurities which had claimed many lives of NYSC members has brought about debates on whether or not the NYSC scheme should be scrapped. The scheme is known for its promotion of ethnic unity amongst culturally diverse youths in the country, however, the spate of terrorism, kidnapping, ritual killings and all other forms of chaos in the country has dealt a serious blow on the scheme. Currently, parents no longer want their offspring to be posted to risky environments, or posted far from them. Therefore, original postings are always altered with various kinds of agitations. The rate of Corps members who seek re-deployment back to their states of origin is always at an alarming increase! Therefore, the aim of establishing the scheme is being defeated”.
Earlier in his address, the NYSC Oyo State Coordinator, Mr Odoba Oche who was represented at the event by the Assistant Director, Corps Inspection and Monitoring, Mrs Olusesi Olabimpe, said the scheme had contributed immensely to all aspects of national development.
He urged former, serving and prospective corps members to work for the success of the scheme.
Highpoint of the 50th Anniversary lecture was the presentation of awards, and cultural presentation.
Present at the event includes; heads of security agencies, corps employers, traditional and religious leaders, and corps members serving in Oyo state.
