Television Nigerian

By Atim Atedze

The National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC) has come of age so much so that the institution’s gains cannot be quantified in the country’s socio-economic life. So much has been written and said about the scheme regarding its contribution to the country’s socio-economic development.

And this is where it stands in commemoration of the 48th anniversary of the existence of the NYSC and what it represents as an institution designed to promote national unity amongst the teeming youthful population in the country. The NYSC was created to reconstruct, reconcile and rebuild the country after the Nigerian Civil war. One of the objectives of the NYSC is to contribute to the accelerated growth of the national economy.

After the Nigerian Civil War ended in 1970, as part of the “3R” program—reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation—the government created the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to bridge ethnic and religious divisions in Nigeria and foster the spirit of Nigerian nationalism. General Yakubu Gowon, the military head of state, created the NYSC as one of many ways to achieve national unity in Nigeria. The program is a mandatory one-year service to the country after completing a first degree for youths below the age of thirty. Participation is a prerequisite for admission into graduate schools and employment in Nigeria.

The question that thus arises is, has the NYSC been successful in achieving its primary objective of “developing common ties among the Nigerian youths and promoting national unity and integration?” For all its faults, the answer is still yes. By posting “corpers” to unfamiliar places to interact with people from different backgrounds, the NYSC brings together Nigerian youths from diverse socio-economic and ethno-religious backgrounds. This helps bridge the ethnic and religious divisions in the nation by providing exposure to other ethnic groups, which is a positive step towards building a stronger nation.

The scheme also aids social integration by providing opportunities for cross-cultural interaction that has led to inter-tribal marriages, helping to reduce inter-ethnic stereotypes and suspicions prevalent during the period after the war. The scheme further serves as an employment buffer by offering employment to recently graduated youths. Some places of deployments retain the “corpers,” thereby aiding economic integration in the country. Likewise, NYSC fosters a sense of patriotism among Nigerian youths; participation is regarded as obeying the clarion call to serve the fatherland. This position still stands and needed given the prevailing circumstances where the country has witnessed sentiments along ethnic and religious lines.

I know some would argue that the scheme has outlived its usefulness; some would also say that the scheme’s objectives ought to be rejigged to reflect the realities of the time in the country. These positions are valid and at the same time invalid because the proponents of the above stated have narrowly missed how the NYSC has evolved over the years to be that engine room for the socio-economic development of the country.

As an aside, the NYSC is what every young Nigerian graduate looks forward to yearly. I dare say that most parents and guardians also have a sense of fulfilment when they see their children and wards kitted in the NYSC khaki uniform. To say it brings joy and a sense of pride would be an understatement. The corps members themselves relish every moment during their participation in the scheme.

The NYSC of yesterday is not the same as the NYSC of today in the sense that a lot has changed. The NYSC of today has evolved into a skills and entrepreneurship development scheme where corps members are availed the unique opportunity to contribute their quota to the country’s development. For example, the NYSC has a Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme in place to facilitate access to requisite skills and resources necessary for successful entrepreneurship.

The SAED programme is targeted at young Nigerian graduates deployed for the one-year mandatory service and designed to be implemented during the required camping exercises (in–camp) and throughout the service year (post-camp). Corps members will be encouraged to learn in-demand industry skills, position themselves to become value creators, and leverage career and business start-up opportunities.

The SAED programme, in my opinion, supports the federal government’s aim to catalyze economic transformation through the promotion of entrepreneurship and self-reliance, particularly among youth. While corps members are encouraged to start a business in any field of their liking, SAED emphasizes twelve vocational skill sectors, including within the agri-food sector, tourism, construction, information and communications technology and education. This, we must admit, wasn’t the case many years back, and this tells us that the NYSC is evolving to meet the peculiarities of time.

Also, the welfare of corps members has been prioritized by successive administrations. If we do not know, the monthly allowance paid to corp members goes a long way for many families. This is where I commend the present Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, for his numerous innovations in the scheme over the years, which in my opinion, is a function of leadership.

Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has redefined the concept of leadership through his sterling performance at the NYSC. And today, the NYSC is robust in its programmes and impactful in its contributions to national development.
A good example of his sterling leadership is signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, Niger State, on the training of Corps Members and Staff on modern farming methods. This is indeed brilliant given the vast potentials for wealth creation in the agricultural sector.

The NYSC DG was also recently commended for ensuring the improvement of staff and corps welfare, involvement of Corps members in COVID-19 Interventions, active participation of corps members in National assignments, especially election duties, Skills Acquisition, resuscitation of NYSC Ventures and enhancement of security network for corps members among others. And many more innovations too numerous to mention.

As the NYSC clocks 48, all relevant stakeholders must continue to extend their support to the scheme for optimal performance. The peculiarities of time require this, and it consequently beholds on well-meaning Nigerians to make the NYSC impactful in the country’s socio-economic development. I say hurray to NYSC at 48.

Atedze wrote this piece from Lagos.

By Idoko Ainoko

Wonders, as they say, shall never come to an end. I was taken aback when I stumbled on a news item on Sahara Reporters alleging that the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, during his time in office entitlements under the Uniform and Boots Allowance and Scarce Skills Allowance approved by President Muhammadu Buhari since November 2017 have not been paid by the army authorities, then under the former Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (retd.).

Initially, I struggled to make sense of the story, which forced me to read carefully until the end. But I could not get the import of the story. Instead, I was confronted with a poorly written story laced with mischief and intended for character assassination. And my conclusion was that there was no sense in the story.

However, I was constrained to pen this article because of the danger such bare-faced lies could have on the psyche of members of the unsuspecting general public. The story is absolute balderdash and a typical Sahara reporters style of maligning individuals and organizations in return for a plate of porridge.

This trend must stop as it is not in the interest of the generality of Nigerians but that of a select few who are bent on truncating our nascent democracy in fulfilment of their evil desire to set the country up in flames.

Having stated the above, it is essential to highlight the fact that in the annals of the Nigerian Army, never was there a time where the financial books of the Nigeria Army were subjected to rigorous scrutiny, than during the tenure of the former Chief of Army Staff. And he didn’t disappoint.

So, in my opinion, it is most despicable and an act of sheer wickedness for anyone or group to allege that monies and allowances meant for troops were not given to them under whatever guise. Just in case Sahara reporters and their promoters are not aware, under the Buratai leadership, it is on record that the Nigerian Army experienced tremendous infrastructural development that includes but not limited to the building of hospitals to cater for the medical needs of officers and soldiers, as well as their families, massive renovation of command secondary schools across the country, the establishment of the Nigerian Army University and also, the renovation of army barracks across the country.

I deliberately mentioned the above achievements to give us an idea of how the former Chief of Army Staff placed the welfare of officers and soldiers on a premium by undertaking projects that directly impact on their lives and that of their families. Since assumption of office, the former COAS on annual basis through his welfare programme evacuated over 70 personnel, spouses and retired personnel for medical treatment annually. He instituted a medical insurance for all category of officers and soldiers including treatment abroad.

The question thus is if a man with such foresight and disposition could embark on such projects, why would that same man cheat his troops? The narrative is not connecting, and it can only be misguided and meant for mischief purposes.

I also wish to state that with the successes recorded in the fight against insurgency, it would have been impossible for the troops to record such feats if their allowances are left unpaid for upward five years as alleged by Sahara reporters and their co-travellers. This new move by Sahara reporters is not only uncharitable; in my opinion, it is nothing but a distractive tool designed by the promoters of violence in Nigeria to cause a distraction so that they can have the time to regroup and wreak havoc in the country.

It is also a statement of fact that under the leadership of Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, the Nigerian Army witnessed an enviable upliftment in its operational procedures and an emphasis on improved welfare for troops. So much so he was nicknamed the soldiers’ soldier. This same man would pass the night in the trenches with soldiers and eat from the same pot with them.

It is the same man that pays unscheduled visits to his troops on the battlefield. It is the same man that organizes feasts for soldiers during festive seasons in the theatre of operations and other parts of the country where operations are conducted. I can go on non-stop because here was a general that connected well with his troops at all times. And for the records, if the allegations peddled by Sahara reporters were true, there would have been no way the officers and soldiers would have kept quiet for that long.

I dare say it is not possible because the Tukur Buratai era in the Nigerian Army was characterized by transparency, accountability and improved fiscal policies that contributed mainly to the successes recorded in the prosecution of the war against terrorism and other acts of criminalities across the country. Under Tukur Buratai, the Nigerian Army opened its financial records for scrutiny under a Freedom of Information request by a group of civil society organizations. And as we all know, the outcome was a commendation for entrenching a fiscal discipline regime in the Nigerian Army.

At this point, I do not think I should go further because it’s unnecessary given the realization that this also is another campaign to discredit one of the best that has led the Nigerian Army to the best of his ability, and his records stand tall. Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai ( rtd) remains a legend. In the annals of the Nigerian Army, there has never been a time where the Chief of Army Staff connected effortlessly with his troops. And this is because he prioritized their welfare and not what Sahara reporters and their promoters want the unsuspecting members of the general public to believe.

At this point, I would advise those that are envious of the Tukur Buratai years in the Nigerian Army to do themselves well by coming to terms with the reality that Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai was an example in service to the country.

Ainoko wrote this piece from Kaduna.