NYSC is intrinsically an innocuous Scheme, contradictorily lives are being lost perpetually during service year largely in identified heinous states, promulgate the best approach that can be use to mitigate the repugnant occurrences in Nigeria

 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was founded by Yakubu Gowon in the year 1973 as an avenue for reconciliation,reconstruction and rebuilding of the nation after the civil war with the objective to inculcate discipline in Nigerian youths by instilling in them a tradition of industry at work,and of patriotic and loyal service to Nigeria in any situation they find themselves.Over the years,the scheme has not failed in impacting the youths the values of nationalism,patriotism,loyal and accountable leadership.

Lost of lives during the service year can not be over looked,to some,the best solution to avoid this is to cancel NYSC completely but we have to come to the realization that death is inevitable,with or without NYSC,people will still die. Yet,there are best approaches that can be used to mitigate the repugnant occurrence in Nigeria.

To start with,the attention of the government should be called to road in this country.It is required for a corp member to go to where ever he or she has been posted to,firstly for three weeks camp,then to the primary place of assignment and to get that done,the must be a travel,that’s where the road comes in.

It has been recorded that almost 95% of corp members death was as a result of road accidents.When the roads are good,there would be low amount of road accidents.

In addition,garage in every state should be well screened,starting from the drivers,his or background,driving experience,health status,mental state and all necessary things that will make him or her driver accordingly, I must say,there are so many drivers that should not be handling the wheels and all passengers are submitted to the so called driver in a vehicle.Then their buses,there are a lot of dead buses on the road and this is really endangering people’s lives not only corp members. Buses should be well screened and if there can also be an empowerment from the government to the capable citizens by providing buses that can convey people inter state most importantly corp members. It will also reduce the rate of unemployment and the passengers can easily submit to the right diver in an healthy bus/car.

Many years ago,when there is adequate security in the country,traveling interstate used to be a delightful thing,but now, the kidnapping is so rampant that no parent would be in support for their children should travel to an unfamiliar state in the name of serving your father’s land. And I do not blame them,it is because there is no safety in the country,kidnapping,robbery have now become normal things to our hearings which is not supposed to be. The government should also try as much as possible to look the security of the country.

Furthermore,proper screening should be conducted to each and every corp member before embarking on the journey into the orientation camp. Based on health reasons,some corp members are not fit to enter the orientation camp at all because they will break down. Providing a medical fitness result is not enough rather their should be a health center across the state that will be reasonable for conducting test on every corp members while doing the necessary registration before the three weeks orientation camp. The health center should duly report to NYSC with the list of those that are fit enough to be part of the three week orientation camp. Those that are not fit health wise should be well taken care of . If their health can not stand the place they are being posted to,probably the weather,an automatic reposting should be done for them to a suitable state in the country.With that life of every copper would matter and death among corp members would be controlled.

Lastly,the sector in charge of food in orientation camp across the country should do better,because if there are good meal from the camp kitchen,I see no reason why there should be food vendors inside the Mami market(mini market in the orientation camp). This is want I have experienced,the fit ones inside the camp eating meals like that would one way or the other become unfit.

    With this few opinions and approaches,I believe strongly that death among corp members can be controlled in Nigeria.

WRITTEN BY: Ayansiji Abisola Grace

OS/23A/1465