- Executive Director Prince Nze emphasized that the ongoing deployment of youths for the scheme poses a threat to their lives, highlighting the need for immediate action
The Human Rights and Justice Group International has urged the Federal Government to halt the National Youth Service due to the escalating incidents of killings and kidnappings.
The organization cited a surge in violence, including the abduction of 15 NYSC members in Anambra State and the tragic death of a Bayero University student, Talatu Salihu, during a kidnapping incident.
Executive Director Prince Nze emphasized that the ongoing deployment of youths for the scheme poses a threat to their lives, highlighting the need for immediate action.
He said, “For now, due to insecurity, the NYSC should be put on hold. The essence of NYSC is to integrate the youths.
“Today, some youths who went to the North from Akwa Ibom State have not been accounted for over eight months. Their parents are worried and nobody could account for them.
“For you to ask me to send my children to the NYSC for a nation that has values for cows than human beings, I cannot subject my children to such situation because if anything happens to them, the country does not care.
Speaking further, he said, “The level of insecurity is worsened even before Tinubu came on board. We have spent billions of dollars acquiring military equipment and weapons, yet we live in a country were terrorists determine things.
“As I speak today, there are parts of the country where Boko Haram collect taxes from the people. Farmers cannot go to farms until they pay taxes to Boko Haram in some parts of the North.
“All we are saying is that the current President should be decisive about terrorism and the military and the apparatus of state securities should justify the budgetary allocation on security given to them. We cannot be living in a nation where terrorists determine what we do or how we live our lives.”
However, a Professor of International law at the University of Jos, Professor Nnamdi Aduba, frowned at Nze’s views on the matter, saying it is wrong to shield the youths from the problems of the nation.
He said, “You cannot shield the youth from the problems of society. They have to be part of it. There is insecurity everywhere. What are you suspending it for? What is the alternative? How would you teach your youths about their country? NYSC is a beautiful idea. In a multi-ethnic society like ours, any programme that will create opportunities for young people to know their nation should be adopted.
“Do you know that even now that is no job anywhere, most of these young graduates depend on the NYSC as a startup to their lives, if it is suspended what will happen? There is no country without one level of insecurity or another.”