Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Ade Undie, has praised the Federal Government for enhancing national integration and unity through the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.
Undie spoke on the occasion of the 47 years anniversary of the NYSC.
According to the Police boss, NYSC had come a long way as a national unifying factor and survived the calls by some members of the society for its scrapping.
Said he: “So far so good. The scheme is worth celebrating at 47 having survived the unwarranted clamour for its discontinuation.
“Many Nigerian youth graduates who ordinarily would not have gone beyond their states or at most, their geopolitical zones are annually benefitting from a programme which takes them to other parts to learn their culture and establish lasting relationships.
“NYSC has given us a free access to other lands where the safety and security of corps members are guaranteed because the Police have the mandate of the authority to keep an eye on them right from the orientation camp, during the service year and till the end of their mandatory one year service to the fatherland.”
He added: “We have a directive to keep tab on all the Corpers’ Lodges across the country and monitor their movement from the first day they step into the unknown terrain for the service till the end where they are discharged from the service.
“The Nigeria Police Force among the security agencies have the sole responsibility to protect lives and properties and we are doing our utmost best to ensure that we do not shirk in that responsibility.”
The police commissioner said that members of the service corps had special privilege conferred on them by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended because, ‘the corps members are treated with consideration and dispatch’.
Undie said that the scheme should adjust its contents to accommodate exchange programmes that would make corps members to become independent after service.
“I am aware of the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme but the managers of the scheme need to encourage exchange programmes with relevant stakeholders and training centres where what is learnt is improved upon during the service year.
“You may be thinking that a policy is on ground for Post-Camp trainings but do not let us deceive ourselves, what you learn most of the time is theory which can hardly put you in better stead for post service year employment.
“However, the exchange programme will be solely practical based on reputable training centres which will give you a better grasp and understanding of what you want to be in the future. Our education is certificate and theory based but going the extra mile will allow us to compete favourably in the labour market,” he said.
The police boss who participated in the National Youth Service Corps scheme and served at the defunct Nigeria Airways in Port Harcourt, Rivers State as Traffic Officer preferred that the three weeks course be extended to accommodate more realistic orientation course contents.
He warned corps members: “To live a stain-free life during the service year, you need to comport yourself and not indulge in any of the vices that have become the order of the day such as cyber crimes, impersonation, drug addiction or act as an accomplice to commit crimes.”
He said for the scheme to remain relevant and dynamic, both ex-corps and serving corps members should initiate a forum to discuss the challenges bedevilling the scheme and the way out.
“NYSC has been promoting inter-ethnic marriages and cross fertilisation of cultural ideas which has stood it out. The initial misconception about the history of people of other tribes and the mistrust of the civil war era had been dispelled with the establishment of NYSC,” he added.
