Ondo State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, has said that Nigeria’s large population and land mass notwithstanding, the country is better as a single entity.
Ani stated this during the Unity Walk organised to commemorate the 48 years of the establishment of NYSC.
She said “our diversity should be seen as advantage to collectively take the nation out of the woods.”
“Gentlemen corps members, nothing can divide us if we explore our diversity and take advantage of our population as well as our land mass to pursue our goal for the overall development of Nigeria.
“Nigeria is a blessed country where the pasture is green. This is a nation flowing with milk and honey while her citizens ranked among the best in the world. We have what it takes to rule Africa and that is why NYSC is harnessing these potentials to build an egalitarian society devoid of tribalism”.
The NYSC boss admonished the corps members to see the period of the anniversary as one stock taking, coming together to discuss the challenges facing the nation and mapping out strategies to address them.
“As members of the service corps that have come from all the parts of this country to serve your fatherland, you need to tell the whole world that you are one through your conduct both here in camp and during the service year.
“If those who are not well informed about the programmes and activities of NYSC are giving few reasons why government should discontinue with the scheme, you need to give them thousands of reasons, mostly scientific and empirical that without NYSC, our focus shall be shortsighted,” she said.
She called on the corps members not to engage in any acts inimical to the positive development the scheme had brought to the national psyche but to engage in continuous sensitisation of the general public so they would know that the advantages of sustaining the programme far outweighed other consideration.
Some of the corps members who spoke during the Unity Walk for the 48 years of the Scheme’s existence unanimously agreed that the unity of the country should be sacrosanct to all the citizens and residents.
Corps member Okafor, Ebelechukwu Helen with code number OD/21A/1452 was of the opinion that rather than call for scrapping, the scheme should be well funded so that other areas of its operations would be enhanced.
In her contribution, Oriarewo, Eromosele Precious, code number OD/21A/2413 said that the opportunity enjoyed by the graduate youths to know other parts of the country which serves as part of education would be greatly eroded and that would not be in the best interest of country.
A corps doctor, Ike, Chioma Immaculata with code number OD/21A/2053 said that Nigerians should consider the roles corps members were playing in the educational, agricultural and health sectors.
Contributing, Akinkuolie, Ibitayo Temiloluwa with code number LA/21A/6184 wanted those calling for scrapping of the scheme to consider the economic implication of that move because NYSC had stabilised the youths through the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, programme introduced to give future to the Nigerians as there are limited paid jobs
After the walk, the corps members on platoon basis showcased the rich cultural heritage of various cultures from the major tribes of the country.
The Unity torch had earlier passed through all the platoons while some corps members displayed banners with various inscriptions such as NYSC is for the Unity of Nigeria, Shun acts that divide us, NYSC puts the nation first, Shun Corruption etc.
