In the wake of distressing news regarding the abduction of eight National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Zamfara State, prominent actress Kate Henshaw has taken to Twitter to express her deep concerns about the safety of corps members and has called for a comprehensive reevaluation of the annual NYSC program.
Henshaw, known for her outspoken views, expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs within the NYSC.
Henshaw emphasised that the program's integrity has been compromised, rendering it far less memorable and secure than when she participated. Her tweet conveyed her strong belief that the safety of corps members has been seriously compromised and that the time has come to consider the program's discontinuation. Her sentiments echo the concerns of many who fear for the safety of young graduates participating in the NYSC.
Reflecting on her own experience, Henshaw recalled her days of service in the North, where travelling from Bauchi to the airport by road and then flying to Lagos was a safe and uneventful journey, accomplished solely with her NYSC ID card that even earned her a ticket discount. In her view, the stark contrast in travel safety today underscores the urgent need for reform.
Henshaw minced no words in her tweet, stating, "It's time to SCRAP this idea since corpers can't travel within this country without LET OR HINDRANCE! Stop putting the lives of young people at risk with moribund ideas. Security is a priority and needs to be sorted totally, not technically."
The recent abduction incident involving eight NYSC members travelling in an Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus from Uyo to Zamfara State for their one-year national service further fueled the concerns. Three of the kidnapped corps members managed to escape the captors' clutches.
While Eddy Megwa, the Director of Press at the NYSC Headquarters, explained that the abducted graduates were travelling to their designated orientation camp when gunmen kidnapped them, Henshaw remains steadfast in her conviction that the program should be entirely reconsidered and potentially overhauled to ensure the safety and well-being of the young participants.
