The federal government yesterday overruled the House of Representatives, insisting that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) would be sustained.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, made the position of the federal government known in a statement.
Dare argued that the NYSC is one of the greatest tools for National development for youths in Nigeria.
“The NYSC scheme remains one of the greatest tools for national development for our youth.
“The commitment of the government to sustaining the NYSC scheme remains.
“Dynamic Reforms and Initiatives towards current realities are ongoing. Nigeria will stand with her youth”.
The minister made this statement amid calls for the NYSC scheme to be scrapped.
The House of Representatives is currently considering a bill for the discontinuation of the NYSC scheme.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alteration Bill, 2020, seeking to repeal the NYSC Act, has been billed for the second reading.
The sponsor, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, in the explanatory memorandum of the proposal, listed the various reasons why the NYSC should be scrapped.
“Due to insecurity across the country, the National Youth Service Corps management now give considerations to posting corps members to their geo-political zone, thus defeating one of the objectives of setting up the service corps, that is, developing common ties among the Nigerian youths and promote national unity and integration,” the lawmaker had said