NYSC – Beyond Serving The Fatherland [A Must Read]

“Under the sun or in the rain, with dedication and selflessness, Nigeria is ours, Nigeria we serve”…that particular aspect of the NYSC anthem always highlights the commitment and purpose of serving our fatherland. One thing I just disliked in the anthem is that they never inserted a stanza that will keep reminding the nigeria youth that after one year of serving our fatherland, they won’t be payment of federal and state government little honorary into our account or a stanza that will keep ringing a bell on every corp member and prospective corp members that after one year of your compulsory service to your fatherland, they is no sure red, blue or black collar job waiting for anybody for grabs.

It always dishearten when you see our youth unemployed after so many years out of school which in most cases increase the level of unemployment rate in Nigeria. I salute the courage of the NYSC authority by initiating a programme call SAED(skill acquisition and entrepreneur development). According to the body, this programme is initiated to provide all corp members the opportunity to learn different skills so as to be self employed during and after service year. One thing that actually disappoint me about this programme is that since NYSC intends to empower the corp members, adequate fund or soft loans most have been created so that corp members can actually use that to set up on their own after service year.
Though am aware that the body has provided a shadow soft loan for selective corp members. This loans according to the NYSC is provided to corp members to finance any of their intending project. According to my findings, its so unfortunate to hear that, this said loan is not designed for all corp members but selected few of which their respective local government believe they most have satisfied their own individual desires( though,I stand to be corrected).
To all corp members who are passing out soonest, will want to encourage you to please think twice before lavishing your last summed up “allawee” cause after this, no more bank alert every 30th or 29th of the month. And for the prospective corp members, please think of the business, savings or investment you want to engage yourselves in before the commencement of your service year. Will encourage you to learn a particular skill you are comfortable in and start running it so as to avoid making you depend on your monthly allawee as your only source of income. Service year is one of the most interesting years, but always remember that after one year they is no automatic work except for the few ‘fortunate’ ones.
Will end this piece by saying I pray that one day corp members will be given a reasonable amount of money when passing out to establish themselves and not rely on white colour jobs and what have you. If 14million could be dashed out to the individual members who attended the just concluded CONFAB, then the government can also make provisions for every corp member to be given a reasonable some of money to invest or establish themselves so as to alleviate poverty, thuggery and the issue of unemployment among Nigerian youth.