The National Youth Service Corps on Friday said that it is not mobilising corps members for war.
This followed an interview granted by the Director-General of the Corps, Brigadier-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, in which he said that the Corps members are part of the county’s defence system.
‘This is to clarify the misrepresentation of the NYSC Director- General’s recent interview with the media currently trending on the social media,” NYSC Deputy Director (Publications), Emeka Mgbemena, said in a statement titled, ‘Rebuttal: No corps member is being mobilised for war’. The statement was issued on behalf of the Director (Press and Public Relations), Adenike Adeyemi.
“The Director-General had stated that in line with the National Defence Policy, corps members are like soldiers on reserve, because their education, exposure and sophistication, can make them easily adaptable to military training,”Mgemena said
“He charged them to remain focused and patriotic; and for the spirit of NYSC to live in all Nigerians.
“General Ibrahim never at any point said that corps members are being mobilised to fight war.
“The scheme shall continue to safeguard the interest of corps members at all times.”
Gen. Ibrahim had said on a TV programme on Wednesday that corps members are part of Nigeria’s national defence policy of Nigeria and could be mobilised for war if the need arises.
He spoke against background of moves in the House of Representatives to scrap the programme, under which Nigerians who graduate from the university before age 30 are made to offer one-year service to the nation.
“You can imagine within the short three weeks in the orientation camps, the corps members are moulded. They are like soldiers. You see female corps members blowing the army horn, playing with the military band.,” the DG had said.
“So, if not for the knowledge, where are you going to mobilise such young Nigerians to train them quickly to put in their best for the country?
“So, corps members are on reserve. They are also part of the national defence policy. Parents should teach their children the spirit of patriotism.”
Since the interview, the statement has been trending on social media.
Nigeria is currently fighting wars against insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
