African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has called for the immediate suspension of the National Youth Service Corps scheme. His call followed the abduction of prospective corps members in Imo State.
Gunmen attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road on Thursday. The incident happened around the Umunoha area of the state. The victims were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states. Security agencies later rescued some victims and continued efforts to find the others.
Reacting to the incident, Sowore said the NYSC had “outlived its usefulness in its present form.” He said the government should stop forcing graduates to travel long distances for national service. According to him, the country must first guarantee their safety.
“You cannot force young Nigerians to ‘serve their fatherland’ when the same country cannot guarantee their safety,” he said.
Sowore also proposed that corps members should serve within their states of origin. Meanwhile, security agencies have stepped up efforts to rescue the abducted victims. Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, deployed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Shehu Nadada, to coordinate the operation.
Two commissioners of police also joined the effort in Imo State. Reports also said the abductors demanded N50 million for each of 19 prospective corps members. That demand would amount to N950 million if applied to all 19 victims.
Beyond the immediate rescue operation, Sowore proposed a different model for national service. He said his proposed “Sowore 2027 presidency” would replace NYSC with a two-year voluntary National Job Corps. The programme would focus on jobs, skills, technology, agriculture, healthcare, education and public works. He argued that young Nigerians need “jobs, opportunities, skills and security, not compulsory deployment into danger.”
The abduction has now renewed concerns about the safety of graduates under the compulsory national service system.
