NYSC SCHEME:THE BEAUTY, THE SHENANIGANS,THE FRAUD
It's no news that the National Youth
Service Corps (NYSC) was established in 1973 during the regime of Gen Yakubu Gowon. This service is to engage Nigerian graduates to help develop the country in the way they can. The programme was designed in a way that graduates from all universities and polytechnics compulsorily partake in it, in as much as they are within the age limit (30yrs). They are made to serve their father land in the little way they can by engaging in community service.
In this compulsory one year of service to one's country, the programme was designed in such a way that it's foster the spirit of camaraderie among corpers.
Asides the gregariousness the scheme is meant to create among corpers,it was originally aimed at allowing corpers to tour various states of their choice, learn new culture, food, make new friends, most importantly enjoy the liberty and essence of being a Nigerian. The scheme was drafted in a way that one can be posted to any part of the country to explore and enjoy the rich cultural heritage of the area posted to.

In the early good days of the programme, graduates least worries was the state to be posted to. Every state was potentially a haven for the corpers. No graduate get sleepless nights due to the uncertainty that surrounds the place, state one is to be posted. This is not based on the lucid fact that some state do not pay corpers: or owing to the remoteness of the States, but on the fact that antecedents of pogrom of some States have made such State a potential red zones and very lethal for corpers to tread on. The exquisiteness in the NYSC programme is in the fact that graduates learn new ideas, new skills,gain new experience even meet future partners and impact positively to the society or state posted to.
Personally, the idea behind the establishment of the NYSC scheme has long gone the drain. Back in the days potential corpers wear the white and green khaky with much pride, gaieties, honour and respect. Graduates look forward to the service year with much expectations and with the pride of service to one's country. Graduates were ready to carry out their duties diligently and obediently regardless of the state one is posted. The reverse is now the case. As many a graduate fast and pray; consult some spiritualists to aid their posting, some even bribe their way out in order to get State with less security challenges and with juicy "alawee", States like Lagos,Abuja Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, etc. have been tagged hot cakes as potential corpers pay substantial amount of money only to bribe their names through.

In line with safety and precautionary measures,the Nigeria government have come out with glut of measures to forestall a replica of 2011 post-election violence which left scores of Corps members dead and many injured. North East, Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, to be precise shouldn't be posting zones for corps members based on the antecedents. Due to the insurrection in those zones which actually have been boiling, corps members are not meant to be posted in such perilous areas but to the chagrin of many a lot of graduates were sent to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe State respectively.

Prior the posting of 2015 batches, NYSC leadership headed by Brig. Gen. Johnson Bamidele Olawunmi came out with a malicious system of choosing preferred States to be posted. The system is filled with all manner of deceit fraud and it's bedeviled with corruption from the highest order. Without prejudice, it can be argued that the system of picking your preferred State is the greatest shenanigans any man can do to his fellow man. If the system is anything to go by, why is Lagos filled before its listed out for potential Corps members to choose? If this system is to followed,why are corps members posted to state they didn't pick? To further corroborate this claim, my younger sister was given a state she never thought of, when she went online to choose her preferred States she was given the option of Kano, Sokoto and Plateau. Having rest her fate to God after series of cries, fear of the States and frustration owing to the limited choice and precariousness of the States, she finally made up her mind. To her greatest surprise when she printed her call up letter she saw Taraba State. A state she never saw as an option. Also, a friend of hers who's preferred States were Ogun, Oyo and Kwara, was given Borno State. This fraud is the new antics by the NYSC leadership to beguile gullible and innocuous graduates. This antics is also to allay parent the apathy they have for the northern region, let alone the boiling North Eastern part.

In furtherance of, the NYSC is just a wraith of its former self. The scheme has over stayed it's welcome, it's has caused more arm than good it's just a shread of time wasting. This accusations is borne out of the plethora of demerits that have bigoted the the once unblemished beauty.
One of the failure of the scheme is the issue of orientation camps. Semantically, government has defiled the meaning of orientation. These orientation camps are no better than a concentration camps. The orientation camps of some states are worst than the cubicle of a swine. The future leaders are concentrated in a big hall like a refugee taking refuge in another country. These camps are as old as the birth of time, without little or no renovation since inception. A good example is that of Kwara State. The orientation camp is an eye-saw, if a foreign dog is camped there for less 24 hours it will contract the most dreaded diseases. The camp in Kwara: Nysc Permanent Orientation Camp,Yikpata Edu LGA,is the worst of all. The most pathetic is the manner at which the youths of this blessed country are piled up in a single hall to co-exist as if they are no good than a pack of rascals.
The question is, what happen to the annual allocation to the NYSC scheme? Is Kwara State not involved in the allocations? If not why is the camp still in a sorry states. What happen to the funds? From a reliable source, the camp has worn no new look since inception,yet, funds are being endorsed for the project. Taking a visual ride to other orientation camps clearly shows that, there have been diversion of funds meant for the renovation of the various camps. From rigorous findings it's now confirmed that 80% of various orientation camps need new look both in interior and exterior. Why should corps members be fed like fugitives. The meal served in camps are so malnourishly cooked that it performs the opposite of what a good meal should in one. Yet the federal government keep endorsing billion of naira for the project annually.

Another area of concern is the allowance package, the allowance of corpers is so meagre that it's barely cater for the needs of the Corps members. No sooner had corpers collected their monthly "alawee" than its being exhausted. The attitude of some state governors is more than heinous, why should corpers be own their meagre wages? Though some State do not pay corpers asides the federal government allowance. Yet the best is needed from the youths.

The attitude of the youths is another focal point to be brought to the fore. The youths to a very large extent have displayed high level of indiscipline: ranging from sexual escapade,criminality, cultism, rape and other vices etc. Some corpers have been caught having sex on camps, some engages in stealing, some rape while others in cultism.

In as much as the scheme is not a complete sham, it's has shreads of benefits. The scheme would have be better if it's properly funded and the lingering corruption in high places are arrested and the perpetrators are brought to book. More so, the scheme needs total overhauling. The government should step up the allowance of the corps members in other to encourage the youths to give in their best. Allowance from the federal government and state should be on a round figure in order the nip the menace if high patronage of some States to the board. All the camps should be renovated and properly equipped. While there should be reshuffling of the leadership of the scheme to limit the surge of corruption.
Com lawrence.