News
NYSC Reforms Spark Fresh Row as Agbese Urges Tinubu to Suspend Plan
By Gloria Ikibah
A member of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend the Federal Government’s proposed reformsAggese to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning that some of the changes could weaken the scheme’s founding purpose and undermine Nigeria’s national defence strategy.
Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State and serves on the House Committees on Youth and Defence, made the appeal in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
He argued that although reforms were necessary to keep the NYSC relevant, they should not erode the institution’s core mandate of promoting national unity and preparing young Nigerians for national service.
“Reducing NYSC to a skill acquisition training centre is not healthy for our national life”, Agbese said.
His comments come days after the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, unveiled what the Federal Government described as the first comprehensive review of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973.
The proposed reforms include restructuring the orientation camp into three phases, introducing 11 specialised career streams from which prospective corps members will make their choice during registration, strengthening skills acquisition programmes, replacing the traditional khaki uniform with locally produced attire and appointing a civilian, rather than a military officer, to head the scheme.
The proposals have sparked debate, with supporters describing them as overdue modernisation, while critics fear they could alter the character of the national service programme.
Agbese maintained that the NYSC had evolved into far more than a youth development initiative, saying it had become a strategic national institution that had repeatedly supported the country during periods of national need.
He noted that corps members had over the years played vital roles in education, healthcare, elections and emergency response, making the scheme an important component of Nigeria’s nation-building efforts.
The lawmaker also opposed plans to place the scheme under civilian leadership, arguing that the military culture embedded in the orientation programme helps instil discipline, patriotism and national consciousness among participants.
“Instilling military training in citizens is an international practice that must be sustained”, he added.
According to him, removing that element could diminish one of the NYSC’s defining features and weaken its contribution to national preparedness.
Agbese therefore called on President Tinubu to suspend implementation of the reforms and set up a broader review committee comprising security experts, lawmakers, former NYSC officials, youth organisations and other key stakeholders.
He argued that any restructuring of the scheme should be based on extensive consultation to ensure that its original objectives are preserved while addressing contemporary challenges.
Established on 22 May 1973 by the administration of Yakubu Gowon in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War, the NYSC was designed to promote reconciliation, national integration and unity by deploying graduates to states outside their places of origins
Over the past five decades, the scheme has become a key platform for cultural exchange and public service, with corps members contributing to sectors facing manpower shortages while supporting government programmes ranging from healthcare campaigns to election duties and disaster response.
Although successive governments have introduced policy adjustments over the years, the current proposals represent the most extensive attempt to reshape the NYSC since its creation, fuelling a wider national conversation about the future of one of Nigeria’s most enduring institutions.
By Prosper Olayiwola
A House of Assembly Candidate for Ikole Constituency 1 on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Kayode Arewa Sanni, has called on his constituents, party members and supporters to unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Arewa Sanni made the call in Ikole-Ekiti while addressing party faithful and supporters at a stakeholders’ meeting convened to strengthen grassroots mobilisation in the constituency.
He said the 2027 elections present a defining moment for the people of Ikole Constituency 1 to chart a new course of inclusive representation, people-oriented legislation and accelerated development.
The candidate noted that disunity among party members and supporters remains the greatest obstacle to victory, stressing that only a united front can dislodge entrenched interests and deliver the dividends of democracy to the people.
“I appeal to all our party leaders, members, supporters and well-wishers across Ikole Constituency 1 to put aside personal differences and work together as one family. Our strength lies in our unity,” he said.
Arewa Sanni said his candidacy was driven by a desire to give Ikole Constituency 1 a vibrant and responsive voice in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, with focus on youth empowerment, education, healthcare and rural infrastructure.
He assured constituents that if given the mandate, he would prioritise quality representation and ensure that government presence is felt in all communities within the constituency.
He also called on supporters of the ADC across Ekiti State to rally behind the party’s vision of good governance, transparency and accountability as preparations for the 2027 polls gather momentum.
The aspirant expressed confidence that with unity, commitment and collective effort, the ADC would emerge victorious in Ikole Constituency 1 and other constituencies across the state.
No fewer than six inmates have died within one week following a suspected cholera outbreak at the Kurmawa Maximum Prison in Kano State.
Amnesty International raised the alarm in a post on its official Facebook page, calling on authorities to immediately declare an emergency at the correctional facility.
Amnesty said several other inmates were currently receiving treatment, warning that the death toll could be higher as the suspected disease continues to spread among prisoners.
It urged the authorities to immediately transfer critically ill inmates to hospitals for proper medical attention to prevent further deaths.
The organisation warned that failure to urgently intervene could amount to arbitrary deprivation of life, which it described as a serious human rights violation under international law.
Amnesty also expressed concern over the broader conditions in Nigerian correctional facilities, particularly the prolonged detention of inmates awaiting trial.
According to the organisation, detainees without financial means face greater difficulty having their rights protected, with some spending years in custody without being convicted of any crime.
It further said many inmates were being held in overcrowded and unhygienic cells without adequate food and healthcare.
Amnesty called for urgent reforms to improve conditions in Nigerian correctional facilities and ensure compliance with international best practices.
Popular media personality and self-acclaimed relationship expert, Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, has reportedly lost her second son while remanded in custody.
The development was confirmed in an online appeal by Amira Agiye, head of the Isaamira Love Foundation, who spoke on Okoro’s behalf to request public financial assistance.
She said, “It is sad to announce to you all that Blessing CEO just lost her second son. My name is Amira Agiye.
“I’m here to appeal on behalf of Blessing CEO, who is currently in custody. I understand that people might have different opinions about her and the circumstances surrounding her case.
“And like every one of us, she deserves compassion and an opportunity for redemption.
She needs N20 million to meet the bail requirements. She also needs N36 million to pay the people she owes who brought the case against her.
“Please, Nigerians, let’s forgive her for the sake of that boy who is still in the mortuary. With Blessing’s full consent and authorisation, I’m appealing to all Nigerians to help donate so we can help her out of this situation.”
Also speaking in a voice conversation played by Amira, Blessing, CEO, said, “My second son, Bryan, was full of life. While in custody, I lost Bryan.
I pray this turns out positive so I can leave this place, pick up the pieces of my life and pay my respects to him.”
Recall that the self-acclaimed relationship expert was remanded in Kirikiri Prison over an N69.15 million property fraud trial.
She was granted N20 million bail in July 2026, with two sureties in like sum, and each surety was required to provide three years’ proof of deposits valued at N20 million.
Following her inability to meet the bail conditions, Blessing CEO, remains in prison facility two months after she was granted bail.
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