Mandatory services are infused into the law in different countries for different purposes that range from aiding manpower in different sectors such as infrastructure, military, and the like. Although I wouldn't say there's a mandatory service here in my country, Nigeria, the closest to it is the national youth service corps (NYSC) that's meant to be indulged in for a year by college graduates for one year. Personally, I believe this was a step up to foster intercultural relations, reconciliation, and getting familiar with the landmass and people of the country, especially after the civil war.
I said the national youth service corps isn't a mandatory service because you can easily get an exemption letter if you're not interested in the service, and another reason why I said so is because only a colleague graduate can indulge in it, meaning there are several people who didn't go through this service probably because they didn't study to the point of graduating from university, and that leaves the room wide open regarding why it really isn't much of a mandatory service.
But then looking at this national youth service corps, I personally passed through it about 7 or 8 years ago, and one thing I can say for a fact is that it's not really effective any longer, and there's no point having such again, because although the idea of creating it was topnotch, still it doesn't seem to be mending the relationship between different tribes of people we've got in the country. I mean, you see someone who undergoes NYSC, and after that they still have issues dealing with people of other ethnic groups.
A lot has gone wrong that I believe made this service lose its worth, and one of them is regarding the fraudulent act that now plays out during posting. On a normal day, each person is supposed to be posted to a faraway state from where they used to live so they can indulge in act service for the next year in such a place to make an impact, and in the process, get to know more about their country and other ethnic groups that live there, as well as learn about their traditions, culture, and possibly language, which stimulate intercultural relations and ultimately brood unity in the nation.
But reverse is the case now; many people now bribe their way to remaining in their comfort zone or getting to be posted to a state of their choice. I believe this has made the system of the mandatory service lose its essence, and to fix that, it's best if people aren't allowed to just easily navigate their way to manipulate their posting, and only those with genuine excuses such as illness or pregnancy should be considered.
Also, to be fair, I know many people sort out this relocation because of insecurity in other parts where they're being posted, and we can't blame them for running for their own safety. If the system wants to uphold the structure of the mandatory service, then TBEN should be able to guarantee the safety of all corps members; unfortunately, that isn't assured, as we've seen many get kidnapped on their way to camp or back home. That's not forgetting other forms of insecurity that threaten their safety.
Also, the mandatory service seems to not be effective in brooding young adults in the best possible ways. I mean, since this was set up for only university graduates, then I see no reasons why 90 percent of them would be sent to schools to reach; it's, in my opinion, a waste of time. Such graduates should be posted into an organization that aligns with their course of study and that their tome will stimulate their understanding of the profession and as well serve as an added advantage in terms of experience that'll be required from organizations before employing.
Last on my list regarding the national youth service corps program is that if all of the above can't be meant then, it'll be better for the government to just gather all of the allowances they pay corps members monthly for the next twelve months once, so such graduates can use that amount to at least set themselves up in one business or another. I mean, the allowance isn't enough to sustain them in a month.
So rather than just waste their time for a year and then, after the mandatory service they are relived and start job hunting for years again for years while can be depressing, I think if the government can't improve in the wage, the assurance of employment after service, then giving each graduate all the allowance after 3 weeks in camp would be a graduate start-up to help graduate on the right pace to having a better future.
At least in the end, everyone can decide what they'll do with all the money they're paid for startups, either to invest in a business and start small or invest in their education to further their knowledge in a particular profession, all depending on the individual, and I believe at the end of the day fewer people will have reasons to blame the government for not helping, because with that little start-up fee some will groom their business into a multimillionaire organization, and there'll be no excuse for those who squander theirs.
All photos are mine.
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