The Chairman, Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, and the Amanyanabo of Twon, Brass Kingdom, in Bayelsa State, HRM Alfred Papapereye Diete-Spiff, has tasked the Federal Government to upgrade the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme, in which all youths would be involved and also benefit from the scheme.
Diete-Spiff stressed that as the name implies, ‘National Youth’, all youths should be put into consideration whether you are educated or not, and not ‘Graduate Service’ as is being done now.
He added that there is need for the FG to have a rethink about the scheme, and restructure it in a way that will be beneficial to all youths.
“When you claim a scheme is meant for all youths, why is it that only people that are privileged to attend tertiary institutions are benefitting from it.
“Why are those that are underprivileged neglected. You give the educated youths alone salary for one year, while those that don’t have the opportunities to be educated are not recognised. That’s why we keep having hooligans, touts among the youths, because they are suffering from neglect”.
The Amanyanabo added that the government ought to make a law, and it should be in the Constitution, that every Nigerian that has attained the age of 18 years must go for one year military service.
“This is done in other climes, whereby their youths go for military service just like our own NYSC scheme, and this is done regardless of your educational background, but it’s the law.
“This should be inculcated by the FG so that the government will be fair to every youth”, Diete-Spiff said.
