Nma Shekwolo – Minna

The board of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, says it will not accede to requests for a one year military training for corps members as such a move will pose security danger to the country.

Chairman of the board, Tijani Adekanbi, who stated this on Monday in Minna when he paid visit to the acting governor of Niger state, Ahmed Musa Ibeto, said the decision was reached after wide consultations.

Adekanbi explained that the position of the board was reached in consideration of the fact that there will be nowhere in the armed forces to post the corps members after the training period, adding that leaving them unemployed with such skills will further worsen insecurity in the country.

“If we give them one year military training we have to absorb them into any of the services. If they are allowed to be on their own after the training it will be dangerous for the country,” he said.

The NYSC board chairman also said that the scheme was currently working out a guideline to ensure that over ambitious projects with huge financial demands are not embarked upon by corps members as Community Development Service, CDS.

He, however, noted that CDS projects have helped to speed up development in various communities across the country.

Adekanbi, who also spoke on the issue of fake camps and discharge certificates, stated that the scheme has put in place machinery to ensure that its discharge certificates are not forged and called on employers of labour to be more vigilant and assist the scheme in checking the activities of such operators.

He warned that influential Nigerians who try to make their children evade the mandatory one year service are subjecting them to risk in the future as they would not be eligible for employment or to contest election without the discharge certificate.

Commending the scheme, acting Deputy Governor said it has assisted the state in the implementation of its education and health programmes through the provision of qualified manpower.