Onyekakeyah: NYSC: The end of the road?

Guardian

26 April 2011

Onyekakeyah: NYSC: The end of the road? .

By Luke Onyekakeyah

GOING by the shivering news of the brutal murder of over 37 hapless members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in different parts of Northern Nigeria, particularly in Bauchi State, the scheme may have finally come to a dead end. The NYSC might be ending on a sad note showing that it hasn’t fared well, no matter what anyone may see as its positive contributions. All is well that ends well.

But there are two ways by which the scheme could still continue (if need be) but certainly, not in its present form and structure. The Act establishing it has to be amended before it could continue. People are fed up with a scheme that is now there to snuff life out of the best among our youths, thereby bringing misery and anguish to the affected families.

After ignoring the calls for scraping or reviewing of the scheme in the light of the prevailing ugly circumstances in the country, the time has finally come for the Federal Government to do the inevitable. I’m glad that the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and the former Senate President, Ken Nnamani have reacted positively in that direction.