THE controversy that has trailed the recent posting of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members for 2012 Batch 'B' Orientation Course is easily predictable, having regard to the insecurity in some parts of the country. The coldblooded murder of corps members in the aftermath of April 2011 presidential election in the north stirred a debate about the relevance of the scheme, and it was clear that parents and prospective corps members would resist posting in the future to areas perceived to be insecure.Since 2011, the level of terrorist activities in the north has scaled up to an alarming height that has caught the attention of the international community. Diplomatic missions in the country have routinely issued warning notices to their nationals about the situation in those places. Given this development, and the fact that corps members are often targets of aggression, it would be unrealistic, nay foolhardy to expect that those facing direct threats would risk their lives in the service of the nation outside of legitimate combat duty.Therefore, the action of the NYSC authorities, under the leadership of Brigadier-General Nnamdi Okore-Affia, in issuing call-up letters and deploying corps members to the troubled areas of the country would appear to be official highhandedness. It is no use pretending that all is well regarding the scheme, or insisting that corps members must serve in regions outside those of their origin, in accordance with the spirit and letter of the NYSC. That basic principle can now only be honoured with utmost respect to the sanctity of life.Expectedly, the posting to states like Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna and Yobe elicited protest from the newly mobilised corps members, with the moral backing of their parents. The NYSC response was a diktat that the members had no right of protest and, therefore, must proceed to their respective states of posting. This development, however, re-awakened national consciousness. State governments backed their indigenes averse to the troubled zones and also the House of Representatives passed a resolution on the need to postpone deployment to the troubled areas, and if ever it should be, on voluntary basis. Thankfully, these interventions nudged the NYSC authority to a rethink and those deployed to the troubled areas with call-up letters were asked to report to NYSC secretariat in Abuja for redeployment, while those already deployed to Borno and Yobe were asked to report to Nasarawa and Benue states for their orientation. These moves appeared not ramifying enough as those deployed to Plateau State protested their non-redeployment before the visiting Director-General and were consequently harassed by soldiers sent to mind them at the orientation camp. Amidst the general protest, governments of the affected states appealed to corps members that security would be guaranteed and the government would pay special attention to their wellbeing.The objective of the NYSC, established in the immediate post-war years was laudable. Promoting national unity is indeed a noble goal. Posting corps members outside their state of origin truly furthers the goal of socialisation to other cultures in the country. However, the scheme should be reviewed to reflect objective realities of the country, which today is that certain parts of the country are not safe for normal civil activities.The Boko Haram insurgency against the Nigerian state has left an unimaginable toll in deaths and loss of property and has affected greatly the national psyche. The government must appreciate the fact that insecurity is capable of defeating the goals of the youth service scheme. To post corps members to these 'death zones' is the height of insensitivity and amounts to a negation of the constitutional role of government to guarantee safety of lives and property. Importantly, extant regulations of the scheme that allows for redeployment only on grounds of marriage and health have been superseded by the reality of mindless killings in some parts of the country.Without doubt, affected states badly need the services of the corps members. But the states' assurance of safety to corps members has, unfortunately not been fulfilled. Posting of corps members to dangerous areas should be voluntary and then, after the prospective corps members have been sufficiently informed of the lurking dangers in the particular areas. The authorities should move to classify areas in terms of the degree of danger. The NYSC authorities should jettison the idea of sanctioning corps members who refused their posting to unsafe areas. The right to life is fundamental for all citizens; and to force people to serve where they would likely be killed is a violation of that right.The NYSC authority's response to the situation has been haphazard. Rather than an ad hoc response to the demands for redeployment, the directorate should formulate a new set of regulations to take care of the current situation and any future force majeure. This is possibly the only way to save the scheme.
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