PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH CORPS MEMBERS IN ELECTORAL
MATTERS
No doubt, one of the paramount
desires/dreams of a group of people in any locality is to be referred to as a
literate society. In other words, any right thinking government strives
relentlessly to ensure that its citizenry is made up of high number of literate
people.
Corps members, in a concise term, could be defined as a group of Nigerian youths that are being mobilized to serve the said country in their respective capacities having successfully completed their degree or diploma programmes in various higher citadel of learning across the globe.
In Nigeria, the National Youth Service
Corps (NYSC) is recognized by the government as a compulsory scheme for any
Nigerian graduate whose age falls within the required age bracket for the
national calling, irrespective of the country in which the university or
Polytechnic he/she attended is situated provided it is a recognized
institution. The scheme was established by law in the year 1973, on 22nd
May precisely, after the Nigerian civil war, under the regime of General Yakubu
Gowon with the sole aim of strengthening and restructuring the Nigerian state
as well as creating a greater Solidarity among the members of the
aforementioned state.
For over the years, many pressing issues have been raised regarding the real essence of mobilizing fresh Nigerian graduates under the aegis of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Some of the outpouring questions as regards the people’s guest are not unconnected to ascertaining the actual socio-economic importance of the scheme in question.
If the truth must be told, you would agree with me that the NYSC scheme
(programme) has indeed contributed tremendously towards our collective motive
of actualizing a better Nigeria. Due to time frame coupled with space factor,
the interest of this piece lies mainly on ‘the role of corps members in
leadership development and aspiration for a better Nigeria.’
Corps members whom are generally regarded as a “Literate Society” is a
group that comprised of Nigerian youths from different field of endeavours that
have been contributing significantly towards ensuring that the Nigeria’s
leadership system is duly rebranded. It is no longer news that it is mostly the
youth that are deeply bothered over the ongoing complicated leadership nature
in Nigeria; this is so simply because they remain the set of people that are
severely affected by the anomaly. If this assertion holds water, then it is
needless to reiterate the fact that the corps members whom are a concentration
of literate youths have been working assiduously in view of ending the
lingering socio-political lapses in the acclaimed ‘Giant of Africa’. Let's ride on!
The most distinct feature of the NYSC scheme, which has to do with
deploying the fresh graduates or the incoming corps members to different states
or better still different geopolitical zones considering their respective
places of origin, remains the major recipe that has enabled them to genuinely
contribute their quota in the Nigeria’s political platform. For instance, a
corps member who hails from Kaduna State and is being deployed to serve in
Enugu State stands to be neutral if being posted to function as an Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) official in any locality in the state,
because he/she would hardly know any of the aspirants or contestants, thereby
creating an avenue for transparent voting system at the polls. This usually
becomes the case as a result of the fact that the corps member would have no
personal interest regarding the election(s).
Considering the fact that corps members are a set of fully learned
individuals coupled with the fact that they consist of persons who possess the
extreme urge to reform the country’s socio-political and economic system, it is
of no need saying that they are one of the basic keys required by Nigeria to
ensure that her leadership structure is thoroughly enhanced. This is why in
recent times, they have been granted the opportunity to participate in
electoral practices.
Among all, since corps members are often treated as government personnel
by the general public, they are usually faced with the required opportunity to
pursue their worthwhile dreams vigorously and wholeheartedly. Of course
treating a ‘Corper’ or a corps member as a special personnel gives him/her the
morale to assess any office regardless of the attribute of the office
especially when he/she is clad in the NYSC uniform. This is the reason the
corps members have over the decades been able to air their views freely without
any biased mindset, most especially in electoral matters in which they are
allowed to participate. And, this phenomenon has succeeded in enabling the
people in question to contribute actively and wisely in the geared effort
towards rebranding the nation’s leadership pattern in its entirety.
Surely, the ongoing participation of the Youth Corps Members in
electoral matters, which is tagged by all and sundry as a worthwhile
initiative, would go a long way to reawaken the consciousness of the youths in
leadership aspiration as well as create an avenue for transparency and
zero-corruption at the various polls. Think about it!
COMR FDN
NWAOZOR
Public Affairs
Analyst & Rights Activist------------------------------------------------
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056
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