NYSC: Ohanaeze chides FG for endangering lives of Nigerian youths

By Solomon Ikechukwu

The apex socio cultural organization in the southeast under the umbrella of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has chided the Federal Government for posting corps members to the war- torn Northeast.

The President -General of the group, Chief John Nnia Nwodo in a statement charged the government to withdraw corps members from the troubled zones and re-posts them to safer areas in the north.

He observed that those killed in the past were neither remembered nor their families compensated.

The statement signed by Special Adviser to the President- General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Media and Publicity, Mr. Emeka Attamah reads: “It has come to the knowledge of Ohanaeze Ndigbo that some members of the National Youth Service Corps in the current service year have been posted to some parts of the troubled Northeast states for their primary assignments.

“While Ohanaeze Ndigbo appreciates the need for all parts of the country to be developed concurrently, it goes against the grain of natural justice and human conscience for the NYSC management to send any corps members to areas that could expose them to great danger.

“Stories abound of where NYSC members have been killed or kidnapped in service to their fatherland and to worsen matters, no known compensation has ever been given to the families of such unfortunate people. But come to think of it, what financial recompense can ever be equal to the life of a young man or woman whose families laboured through the excruciating tedium of education in the country only to be so wasted?

“Ohaneze Ndigbo therefore, calls on the Federal Government to preserve the sacredness of life by directing that all members of the NYSC posted to the North East States where there is a problem be reposted to other safer parts of the country”.

The President- General however, warned that it will be wrong to create a situation where corps members or their parents will begin to find ways of evading the service because of fear of possible harm coming to the young people.