A member of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend the implementation of the recently approved reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) pending a comprehensive review of the proposed changes.
Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State and serves as the Deputy House Spokesman, expressed concern that some of the reforms could weaken the founding objectives of the NYSC, which include promoting national unity, cultural integration and youth development.
In a letter addressed to the President, the lawmaker said his appeal was motivated by the need to safeguard the scheme’s role in fostering national cohesion among young Nigerians.
“It is with a deep sense of patriotic duty and concern for national cohesion that I write,” Agbese stated.
He called on the Federal Government to pause the implementation of the reforms and establish a multidisciplinary committee comprising relevant stakeholders and experts to evaluate their potential impact.
According to him, any effort to modernise the NYSC should enhance the welfare and security of corps members while preserving the programme’s core mission of strengthening national unity.
Among the reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council are the replacement of military leadership with civilian administration, an extension of the orientation camp from three to six weeks, changes to the NYSC uniform, the introduction of a structured training curriculum, skills-based deployment, automation of the mobilisation process and formal graduation ceremonies for corps members.
Agbese expressed particular concern over the proposal to replace military leadership with civilian management, arguing that such a significant structural change should undergo careful assessment.
He noted that military leadership has played a vital role in coordinating operations and providing security support for the scheme, especially given the security challenges associated with deploying corps members across the country.
The lawmaker questioned whether a civilian leadership structure would be adequately equipped to handle those responsibilities and insisted that stakeholders should be consulted before any final decision is taken.
Agbese also urged the government to reassess the proposal to deploy corps members based primarily on their professional qualifications and skills.
While acknowledging that the policy could improve productivity, he warned that it might reduce the opportunities for young Nigerians to interact with communities outside their regions of origin, a key objective of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.
He further argued that the existing deployment model has helped promote cross-cultural understanding and national integration, warning that a skills-based approach could weaken that objective.
On the proposed redesign of the NYSC uniform, Agbese described the current attire as a symbol of equality and shared national identity among corps members, regardless of ethnic, religious or socioeconomic backgrounds.
He urged the government to ensure that any modification does not diminish the sense of unity and belonging associated with the scheme.
The Benue lawmaker also questioned the plan to extend the orientation camp from three weeks to six weeks, saying it could place additional financial and logistical burdens on the Federal Government, state governments and corps members.
He called for a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis covering accommodation, feeding, healthcare, security and other operational expenses before the proposal is implemented.
Agbese appealed to President Tinubu to constitute a broad-based committee to thoroughly review the reforms and recommend measures that would improve the NYSC without compromising its original mandate.
He stressed that the welfare, safety and overall development of corps members should remain the central focus of any restructuring of the scheme.
The Federal Executive Council recently approved the reforms as part of efforts to reposition the NYSC to better respond to Nigeria’s evolving social, economic and security realities.
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