By Victor Akan
Full-time Higher National Diploma graduates who previously completed part-time National Diploma programmes have voiced strong opposition to the proposed exclusion of such graduates from the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
This protest comes as the registration for the second stream of Batch C mobilisation began on Monday, January 6.
The affected graduates gathered at the NYSC secretariat in Lagos early Monday morning, holding placards with messages like ‘Say No To Discrimination in NYSC’ and ‘Equal Rights for All,’ calling for their inclusion in the NYSC mobilisation process.
Majaro Temitope, who completed his HND programme at Yaba College of Technology, spoke on behalf of the graduates, expressing concerns over the proposed exclusion.
He described the policy as discriminatory, emphasising that many of them had worked hard to transition from part-time ND programmes to full-time HND programmes.
“Many of us here did ND part-time and later switched to full-time HND. We were not told there is a policy that will deny us the opportunity to serve, despite the struggles we faced during our ND years,” he said.
Temitope also said that they had written letters to relevant authorities seeking intervention, but had yet to receive a response.
He called on the Director-General of NYSC and the Minister of Education to address the issue.
“We’ve already written to the Director-General and JAMB about this matter. We just hope the Federal Government and Ministry of Education will review this unfair policy, especially since the registration has already started and we have yet to register,” he added.
A representative from the Education Rights Campaign, Adebola Osunfunrewa, criticised the policy as a reflection of the deterioration of Nigeria’s education system.
“This policy is another sign that Nigeria’s education system is collapsing. How can over 3,000 students be begging to serve in a country that is facing severe teacher shortages?” he said.
Responding to the protesters, the Lagos NYSC Coordinator, represented by Assistant Director, Ehimuenma Itohan, assured the graduates that their concerns had been forwarded to the Director-General at the national headquarters.
Itohan urged them to remain calm and assured them that the matter was being taken seriously.
“Your protest has been duly noted, and we have escalated your grievance to the highest level of management in NYSC. The Director-General is a father figure who deeply cares about the concerns of the youth, and I assure you that he will consider all aspects of the matter in line with the existing guidelines and policies,” Itohan said.
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