THE assumption of office by Brigadier- General Nnamdi Okorie-Affia as the new Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) coincides with the commencement of the 2011/2012 service year of the scheme and 38 years since it was established.

It also comes at a most challenging time in the history of our country, when a high crime wave, insecurity and terrorism have targeted members of the corps. Corps members are now routinely raped, murdered by evil people and kidnapped for ransom.

A new, uglier dimension was added this year when corps members were targeted and gruesomely butchered in the North after the general election of this year. Before the election, a number of corps members, who were deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve the integrity of the polls were caught in the wave of terrorist attacks by the Boko Haram Islamic sect while preparing for deployment for electoral duties at the commission’s office in Suleja on April 8, 2011. At about the same period, some corps members were abducted in Rivers State for ransom, though they were safely freed after a concerted manhunt.

In the wake of this inexplicable targeting of our young graduates sent to serve far away from their immediate cultural climes, many concerned Nigerians started querying the continued relevance of the scheme. While some advocated for the posting of corps members to their states or geo-political zones of origin, others went as far as calling for its scrapping since the safety of its members far away from home can no longer be guaranteed.

Okorie-Affia’s burden in restoring the trust of Nigerians in the scheme is, therefore, enormous. He seems aware of high expectations from Nigerians, as he has already promised to restructure the service and secure its members. According to him, starting from Batch C of the 2011/2012 session, corps members would be registered and linked with “data formula” that would link each of the participants directly to the NYSC headquarters in case of distress calls. It would also ensure that more information is provided as to their next of kin.

The second innovation, we are told, is that emphasis would now be placed on entrepreneurship training to equip members with self-sufficiency skills. This would enable them to set up and run their own enterprises rather than taking their places in the long job queues.

We call on the Directorate of the NYSC to enlighten the public more about these new policies of increased security and value addition. Right now, the public is in need of firmer assurance about the safety of these young patriots sent to serve their nation and imbibe new values that should help in national integration. Parents need greater reassurance that their children and wards being posted for service would come back in one piece.

Secondly, we suggest that orientation activities should no longer end with the one month of camp activities. There should be a greater infusion of military techniques, security awareness and self-defence drills into members. Corps members should report to camp once every month for such drills. In addition, all corps members should have means of reaching the nearest police, military and security posts when faced with any form of danger to their lives and property. The agencies of state security should be made to see the corps members as partners in the service of the nation and respond to distress situations in the same manner that they do when any of their own colleagues is at risk.

We agree with the authorities that scrapping the scheme would be counter-productive. We also believe that posting corps members to their states of origin will defeat the purpose of setting it up. The NYSC scheme has become part of our national heritage which we must continue to uphold.

However, the security of these youth and their future after the service can no longer be toyed with. Every effort must be put in to make the scheme worthwhile once more.