The National Youth Service Corps
has finally spoken on the claim by the Minister of Communications, Adebayo
Shittu, that taking political office had compensated for failing to take part
in the compulsory one year national service.
The spokesperson of the National
Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Adenike Adeyemi, speaking to Tribune said the
provisions of the Act were very clear, and there are no exceptions for Mr
Shittu who became a lawmaker at the age of 26.
She insisted that the NYSC law
gives no preferential treatment to Nigerians other than those exempted by
Section 2 of the Act.
She said, “Serving in the National
(or state) Assembly is not one of them (conditions for exemption from national
service)
“You have read the Act and you
can see the circumstances where someone is exempted, you analyse it if he
[Shittu] was exempted duly or there is a reason why he should have served. But
the Act is very straightforward on the grounds for not coming up to serve.
“If you are a graduate locally
trained or foreign trained, as long as you graduate before the age of 30, you
are expected to serve. Whether foreign or locally trained, the law is the same.
Our youths should be rightly guided that if you were able to complete your
studies and as of the date of graduation, you are under 30, you are eligible to
serve.
“The NYSC was set up to mobilise
all eligible Nigerian youths. The Act does not talk about VIPs or children of
VIPs. Anyone who is a Nigerian youth, who has a first degree and under the age
of 30 must serve, the issue of VIPs or their children does not apply.
“However, if there is any reason
why a corps member needs a concession, the corps member applies and concession
is given, for example, for marital reasons and on health grounds.
“Everyone is treated the same and
where concessions are to be given, it is treated. So, VIPs or children of VIPs
do not come into the Act and we do not look at that.”
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