The deliberate targeting of young Nigerians serving as National Youth Corps members in the north in the riots which followed the presidential elections is condemnable, but the nation should be wary of reacting in a manner which will amount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater. At the very least, the nation should review the events of the past which led to the death of young Nigerians whose only crime was that they answered the clarion call to serve their fatherland, in a sober mood that will do justice to their lives and the value of their service to Nigeria.
The events which followed the presidential election of the 16th of April will be permanently registered as symbols of the failure of our nation to manage complex developments which have major bearings on our lives. Within a few hours, many major towns, cities and even villages and hamlets went up in an orgy of mass killings, arson and unspeakable forms of violence, including rape and the burning and destruction of places of worship. Even before the results of the Presidential elections were announced, mobs, made up of mostly young people, went around beating up and burning residences of people identified with the PDP, or seen as sympathetic to it. Within a few hours almost the entire far north was aflame, and hundreds of innocent people, including those serving in the NYSC in Bauchi were killed. In Kaduna State the riots took a deadly and traditional pattern, with Christians and Muslims turning on each other and their places of worship. Hundreds more were killed in this State alone in an orgy of killings, the details of which will shock the nation and the world.
The young Nigerians who died in the service of their fatherland died alongside hundreds of other Nigerians whose only crimes were their political views, their faith or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They died in service, and the nation should acknowledge this and treat them as heroes. They were involved in an exercise which is meant to secure the foundations of national unity and the development of democratic values and processes. Those who killed them in cold blood have achieved nothing, and they will be judged by God Almighty for their deeds.
Since the death of the NYSC members, there have been calls from many quarters for the scrapping of the scheme. In the heat of the conflict, many State Governments made a public issue of the plight of many NYSC members who had not been hurt, in the manner they facilitated their evacuation. This further compounded the sense of loss and apprehension felt by parents and the communities which had young men and women in service in the northern States. It is beyond doubt that the fear and insecurity of these young men and women was politicized beyond the bounds of decency, even while accepting that all governments had a duty to protect citizens.
At the moment there are possibly thousands of NYSC members in their home states, having relocated on the instructions of their parents or their State Governors. We are yet to hear of any Governor from the north who has volunteered to transport these Corps members back to his State, and give them guarantees of their safety and security. The longer this situation subsists, the more the service will be damaged, and those advocating for its scrapping would have won the argument.
The NYSC must not be allowed to be scrapped. Its ideals, in spite of massive political, social and demographic changes since its inception, are still valid. It represents one of the genuine avenues for fostering national unity, and securing from young Nigerians a commitment to serve their fatherland for one year in their lives. It allows young men and women from diverse backgrounds to live and work together in environments and cultures far removed from their own. It provides essentials skills and competence to many parts of the country which they will otherwise lack. It is a tool for creating employment opportunities and inculcating discipline and a sense of sacrifice among our young citizens.
For these and many more reasons, the NYSC scheme should not be scrapped. Those who make the case for winding up the scheme fail to appreciate the fact that just merely scrapping it will amplify the signals that the nation cannot survive because citizens from some parts are unsafe in other parts. If young citizens cannot server their fatherland in every town and village far away from home and be assured of their safety and security, then other citizens will begin to question whether they should venture out as well. The fact is Nigeria has not degenerated to that level.
These are very trying times for all leaders in Nigeria; but they are also times when bold steps should be taken to reclaim the grounds we lost. The Federal Government should make it clear that it has no plans to scrap the NYSC. The lives of all Corps members should henceforth be insured, unless they choose otherwise. All State Governors should assume direct responsibility for transporting back all Corps members who relocated from their States, and give them firm assurances and guarantees for their safety and security. Governors who are milking the misfortunes of these young people for political reasons should stop, because they are eroding the foundations of our national unity. If all governments cannot protect the lives and livelihood of a few thousand young men and women in national service, it will be legitimate to ask what the future is for a united Nigeria. But it does not have to reach this level, if steps are taken to save the NYSC.
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