6th September, 2012
Adenikan Adebayo Ismail, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay more attention to the welfare of Nigerian students. He made this appeal during a chat with Campus Square recently.
Adebayo, who served his motherland in the one year mandatory NYSC in Umudi Village, Nkwere Local Government Area of Imo State, southeast Nigeria, said his experience in the Eastern part of Nigeria was such that he can never encourage any student to take part in the National Youths Service Corp, NYSC.
He said: “I was posted to Imo State, Nkwere Local Government Area in a village called Umudi. It is a very peaceful atmosphere but my experience with the hosting community was so appalling. My expectation of a wonderful NYSC was dashed.
“Culture wise, there is a great cultural diversity between the two divides –The West and East. In terms of greeting, general respect, food and mode of dressing, I can say that there is great difference.”
He lamented the hostile and unfriendly nature of the community to non-indigenes and called on the state government to do something about it as it may deprived them of many opportunities in the future. “About 27% of the community were friendly to Youth Corps members. The environment is not conducive enough and it lacks basic amenities,” he explained.
Adebayo called on the Federal Government to pay attention to Youth Corps members in their places of assignment, stating that Youth Corps members allowances are hardly paid and when it is eventually paid, it is nothing to write home about.
He re-echoed the need for government to effectively handle the menace of Boko Haram as it may bring about the disintegration of the nation.
He expressed support for the call that youth corps members should serve within their regions to avoid unnecessary and wanton wastage of lives.
–Ufforth Shalom