The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked the government to stop the NYSC scheme for one year to protect young graduates from kidnappers.
The African Democratic Congress, which many people know as the ADC political party, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to stop the National Youth Service Corps(NYC) scheme for one full year.
The party explained that stopping the youth programme for twelve months will give the government enough time to re-organise the entire system and put stronger safety plans in place to protect young graduates from bad people and kidnappers across the country.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, made this strong call during a recent interview while speaking on the dangerous state of security in many parts of the nation.
He pointed out that while the youth service scheme is still very useful for bringing unity among different tribes in Nigeria, keeping young graduates safe must come first before any other thing.
Speaking during the interview, the ADC spokesperson made his points very clear so everybody could understand the serious situation on ground.
He questioned why large numbers of young people who were traveling to serve their fatherland could be caught and carried away by dangerous gunmen even when everyone knew the travel routes were not safe.
Calling on the government to act fast and stop the national service for a while, Bolaji Abdullahi stated: “The African Democratic Congress has called for the suspension of the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) scheme for one year, saying the move would allow the Federal Government to reorganise the programme and strengthen measures to protect corps members.”
He went further to express deep worry over how prospective corps members are being kidnapped on their way to orientation camps without enough security protection on the roads.
He explained that it is very painful for parents to spend money training their children through university, only for those children to end up in the hands of kidnappers in the bush.
Addressing the safety of young citizens as the most important duty of any government, Bolaji Abdullahi said: “The safety of young Nigerians should take priority, particularly following incidents in which prospective corps members have been abducted.”
He questioned how such a large group of young graduates could be taken away so easily by bad people, asking how they could be kidnapped despite clear warnings that the dangerous area was open to attacks.
The party spokesman also criticized the way the Federal Government is handling the bad security situation across different states. He stated that security officers like police officers and soldiers are not receiving enough good equipment and heavy tools to fight back against bandits and kidnappers.
Laying blame on the country’s leadership, Abdullahi accused President Bola Tinubu of spending more time planning for political power than helping innocent citizens who are suffering inside kidnappers’ dens.
He said: “President Bola Tinubu is focusing more on the 2027 election than on Nigerians being held captive by kidnappers.”
The ADC chieftain also expressed sadness over the recent Independence Day speech given by the President. He explained that the official address did not give enough attention to the heavy tears, pain, and security problems that everyday families are facing in Nigeria today.
Faulting the official presidential broadcast, Abdullahi said that the address “gave insufficient attention to the country’s security challenges and the plight of people in captivity.”
This strong demand from the opposition party comes at a time when families of kidnapped corps members are crying out to the public for help to pay huge ransom demands.
Many citizens on social media agree that the government must fix the roads and clear out bandits before sending young graduates to far places.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
