By Charles Olewezi
A former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has kicked against the proposed reforms of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) by the President Bola Tinubu administration which favours the appointment of a civilian as the Director General, insisting that NYSC Director General should remain a soldier.
Sani argued that the element of military training should not be removed from the NYSC, even though reforms are good.
”Reforming the NYSC is a good idea. But we must not discard that element of military training. The DG of the NYSC should remain a soldier.
”In a nation facing serious security challenges, there is the need for even more rigorous military training at this material time,” he warned on his X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Monday, gave the approval for a major overhaul of the NYSC, bringing in strategic changes meant to update the programme, make life better for the participants, and match the programme with the present national development plans.
As part of the reforms, the NYSC will now be run by civilians, while the military will still provide security for corps members throughout the country.
Reports have it that Tinubu also told the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, to change the NYSC Act and related rules to match the approved updates, and make sure they are carried out as soon as possible.
The changes involve starting a new way to call people, using technology, a system that carefully manages risks to keep corps members safe, and a new six-week training programme that focuses more on leadership, starting one’s business, using the digital tools, and specific career paths.