Association of Nigeria Universities Alumni (ANUA) have strongly opposed and objected to the proposed bill currently in the House of Representatives seeking to scrap the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in Nigeria.
In a statement released and signed by the president of the association Dr Stephen Olawale Fasakin and made available to newsmen, the association noted that,the NYSC scheme has served as a veritable platform to unite Nigerian graduate youths across the country irrespective of ethnic as well as religious background.
ANUA added that, the scheme has also served as a viable instrument of exposure for a very large percentage of the growing population of the youths in Nigeria through deployment of corps members to states outside their places of origin to contribute their quotas to national development.
The Association acknowledged that, the scheme has also provided a breeding ground for the graduate youths across various higher institutions in Nigeria to be able to find their bearing in the larger societies.
The Alumni association however lamented that if the bill scaled through to scrap NYSC scheme,all the aforementioned benefits and others not mentioned therein will be eroded and it will spell doom for the unity of the country which is perpetually fostered through it.
While acknowledging the challenges threatening the scheme particularly the issue of insecurity, ANUA however come up with a number of recommendations to strengthening the scheme for optimal performance which include the issue of insecurity should be greatly addressed by the government which its primary responsibility to provide adequate security.
Also provision of adequate funding and building of modern orientation camps across the country as well as skill acquisition initiative for corps members among others.
It would be recalled that a member of the House of Representatives, Abiante sponsored a bill on the floor of the house seeking the scrapping of NYSC scheme citing the insecurity, exploitation of youths via their places of primary assignments and poor state of the orientation camps nation wide.
The Alumni association believed that, if the identified challenges quickly addressed by the relevant stakeholders as recommended by the association, the scheme will continue to serve its useful purposes.
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