It was Edmund Burke, who said: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” This truism succinctly described the silence in many quarters while youths of this country are being swindled by people who are supposed to provide everything they need to survive.
I raise my voice to condemn the barbaric, obnoxious and anti-people policy of Brigadier -General Johnson Olawumi, the Director General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who introduced N4,000 fee for graduates to pay before collecting their call-up letters for National Youth Service.
We are yet to be told a cogent reason why corps member must pay any fee at all to get their call-up letters. This shows the agency is being turned to revenue-generating outfit for the government, which is against the law setting up the NYSC in the first place. I have once said that NYSC is an irrational organisation that is being run to clueless officials. The introduction of the call-up letter fee vindicates my earlier stand and it shows the body is drowning organisation crying for a lifeline.
With the introduction of fee, we can now see that the Olawumi-led NYSC is insensitive to the plight of the impoverished masses? The Director-General is a misfit, who does not have anything to add to the office he is holding. Why should he ask unemployed people to pay such amount? This tells me that the NYSC has now moved from bad to worst.
Attempt by the NYSC Director of Corps Mobilisation, Anthony Ani, to justify the obnoxious fee could be likened to whitewashing the putrid sepulchre. Nothing is done to reverse the ill-conceived policy which will still cause imbalance in the NYSC scheme. By asking graduates to pay, it is clear that the scheme has outlived its relevance. It has now become a platform to exploit Nigerians.
I will appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately sack Brigadier General Olawumi for his gross incompetence. He should be booted out of office without further delay.
It is, indeed, an insult to every Nigerian that while millions of naira is being allocated to the NYSC via Ministry of Youth Development budget, some people in the organisation still believe collecting money from graduates would sustain the scheme. What about the funds allocated to feeding at the orientation camps, which could not be done because of Ebola outbreak? Yet, the DG is coming out to demand for money from jobless youths.
Serving the fatherland has really caused tears and heartache to many youths. I have a personal sad story to share. I was posted to Sokoto State for the compulsory one-year service. On my way to the state, I was robbed by armed robbers after the vehicle I was traveling in got involved in a ghastly accident in which I broke a part of my hip.
Up till now, I still walk with the aid of clutches. NYSC never showed modicum of concern about my well-being. Throughout the time I had operations on my hip, I only saw some NYSC officials once. There are many corps members who are in life-threatening situation because of the National Service. Olawumi and his insensitive officials are not concerned. They are not after the welfare of Nigerians but just on their own. I urge every youth to rise up and ensure that this anti-people policy is rescinded by the leadership of NYSC, a sinking body looking for straw (the poor money) to stay alive.
Sheyi is a Master’s student at the University of Leeds, UK
