In an interview with Daily Trust, NYSC boss said " Wherever I go, corps members keep asking, Sir This 19k when will it go?" And I keep explaining to them that it is tied to the minimum wage and a little fraction on it will affect their " allawee".
He also went on to point out that scrapping NYSC will be bad for the nation's growth.
He explained " I can assure you that by scrapping NYSC we will have nothing to replace it. Mr President recently confirmed that the NYSC, the military and the police remains the only scheme that unite the country.
I was also a Corp member, and like everybody else I also have my own stories. Apart from the military and police, which other institution is able to bring together over 300,000 youths and mobilize them to other parts of the country? Only NYSC.
Every year we have about 350,000 corps members and despite the security challenge of the country, they are every where. Last time I did an interview I told the media house that most of the deaths recorded during the service year were not on account of insecurity but road traffic accidents.
" Most corps members travel out of their deployed state without permission. One of the unfortunate death recorded was the corp member that was slain during the Shiite protest. We don't joke with the welfare and security of corps members."
The President sent his condolence to the deceased family even the vice president and Governor of Kaduna state went to visit the family of the slain corp member in Zaria. So we are appealing with the press to help enlighten Nigerians that NYSC is the only organ putting this country together.
A book titled : NYSC and national development is on going, community services and projects been carried out by corps members in different parts of the country are memorable and marvelling, he added.