Director-general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim says corps members can be mobilised for war if need be as they are part of Nigeria’s national defence policy.
Ibrahim stated this on Channels TV’s breakfast show Sunrise Daily on Wednesday in reaction to moves to scrap the scheme.
“Corps members are on reserve. They are part of the national defence policy of this country. So, where there is serious war, our corps members are educated, they are knowledgeable and they can be trained. You see the drill and so on,” he said.
“You can imagine within the short three weeks in the orientation camps, the corps members are moulded. They are like soldiers. You see female corps members blowing the army horn, playing with the military band.
“So, if not for the knowledge, where are you going to mobilise such young Nigerians to train them quickly to put in their best for the country? So, corps members are on reserve. They are also part of the national defence policy.”
He said the NYSC is concerned about the security of corps members and that is why they had been advised not to move around at night.
Ibrahim argued that the NYSC had become more important than ever in the face of the rising calls for secession.
According to him, insecurity in the country was not enough reason to scrap the scheme.
The NYSC boss said he had proposed a National Youth Trust Fund through which loans would be given to corps members to start businesses after completing the mandatory programme.
