PAN Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has urged the National Youth Service Corps to allow corps members to serve in their respective home states till security agencies stop the menacing spate of kidnapping and the insecurity in the country.
The group also challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to do all that he said to world leaders at the 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York last week.
National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, made this known in a statement on today, titled, ‘Buhari Speech At The UN: Afenifere Challenges Buhari To Practice What He Preaches…Calls For The Decentralization Of NYSC.’
While reacting to a handbook issued by NYSC to corpers titled, ‘Security Awareness and Education Handbook For Corps Members and Staff’, Afenifere said by serving in their home states, the chances of corpers being kidnapped would greatly be minimised.
Reacting, Afenifere said, “Since it has been admitted even by the Federal Government agency that we may need to live by kidnap syndrome as indicated by this NYSC tip, the minimum that the government owes parents and corpers in this regard is to let the youths serve their nation in their respective states.
“That way, their chances of being kidnapped would greatly be minimized.”
The group also lamented that the government’s poor handling of kidnapping was what has emboldened the perpetrators to continue in their dastardly acts.
“We call on the government to immediately allow states to transform their respective security networks into state police with all the powers appertaining thereto,” Afenifere stated.
In recent months, the Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja-Lokoja-Okene and Aba-Port-Harcourt roads have witnessed an unprecedented spate of kidnapping as rampaging bandits waylay travellers, take them hostage until their families and associates pay huge amount of money before releasing them.
Students have been the most affected by the menacing activities of the unscrupulous elements; and parents of prospective corps members kicking against the posting of their wards to bandits-ravaged states. But despite their objection, thousands of fresh graduates are still being posted to high-risk zones.
A number of corpers have been kidnapped in recent months. The rate of kidnapping on major roads have forced many corps members to abandon road transportation and opt for air transportation to connect their base to their states of posting which is usually outside their geopolitical zone.
