The recently (almost) concluded 2011 Nigerian elections had swept through the nation, doling out death, pain, suffering, anxiety and fear of the future.
As I read the online 'This Day' news article of Saturday, 23rd April 2011, I felt sick to my stomach:
"Two Youth Corpers Murdered in Cold Blood while on National Service"
The electoral commission came up with the "bright idea" of recruiting National Youth Service Corps members to serve as ad hoc staff in the capacity of poll station agents during the election. A decision they would soon regret. News of murdered youths serving their fatherland pours in day after day and one can not help but wonder what words of condolence could be offered to the families of these brave and patriotic Nigerians to help them cope with the meaningless and avoidable loss of their loved ones.
A look at the concept of "National Service and Conscription" reveals that it is a practice all over the world. There are about 90 countries in the world that practice voluntary and mandatory military service and 30 countries that adopt the system of National Youth Service for duration ranging from 3 months to a year.
The objectives of the Nigerian National Service are in tandem with that of most other countries that have a similar scheme: Inculcate discipline, Raise moral tone, Improve self-reliance, contribute to economic growth, promote national unity and integration, eliminate prejudice and eschew religious and tribal intolerance among many others. Unfortunately, 38 years on, these goals are yet to be realized to any appreciable extent.
Youth are dispersed to all corners of the country and left to their fate. Many remain homeless and jobless for the greater part of the service period. The government recruits them offering paltry stipends that barely reaches the poverty threshold of $1 a day. In addition to all this, their security is not guaranteed even when they are on national assignment and their deaths are accompanied with insincere condolences.
As one who has witnessed the failures of the Nigerian Youth Service Scheme first-hand, I still can not completely agree with the concept of completely discontinuing the program, because the practice of national service among the youth does indeed foster national unity, stimulate economic growth and encourages individual development. HOWEVER, if the Nigerian government is unable to cater to the security and welfare of their youth during the service period, it defeats the purpose of the scheme in entirety.
