FG To Review N4,000 Registration Fee Imposed On Prospective Corp Members

The Federal Government has indicated that it would review the N4, 000 online registration fee which was imposed on prospective corps members by the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.

Speaking on Channels TV’s breakfast programme: Sunrise, on Monday, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, said the negative reactions that have trailed the policy has now necessitated a review.

In response to a question on whether the policy was proper or not, Abba Moro said; “Giving the reactions of Nigerians, whether the N4,000 mobilization fee is right or wrong is not the issue. It is whether it is acceptable.

“From the reaction we are getting, it is unacceptable. I’m sure the authorities involved will review the situation.”

Recall that the Director, Corps Mobilization, Anthony Ani, had recently announced that prospective corps members would now pay N4,000 before they could get their call up letters which will be accessed online.

He further explained that this was advantageous to the fresh graduates because they no longer need to travel back to their various schools to get their letters.

However, many Nigerians have criticized and condemned the policy saying it was just an avenue to exploit young graduates.

Samson Itodo, the spokesman of the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement, condemned the policy saying; “I think it’s quite unfortunate that NYSC can ask jobless youth, who just came out of the university, to pay N4000. What is this country doing to young people? What is the country doing for its citizens? Why do we have to pay for technological services? It’s totally unacceptable.

“It shows that we have an insensitive administration that does not have the interest of the Nigerian people at heart. What has the NYSC done to enhance the potentials of people who are willing to design applications free of charge? The explanation given by NYSC is so flimsy and is totally exploitative, which is not acceptable to us and we think they should reverse it.”

“What of students who reside in the state where the schools are located? What excuse do you have for those? If I may ask, are the students complaining? If they pay the so-called N4000, will they not still travel back to get their certificates or will they not still travel for the primary deployment? As long as we fold our arms and keep quiet, this criminal act will continue to go on,” said Suraj Olanrewaju, A human rights lawyer.

On the same issue, Auwal Rafsanjani, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, said the policy was criminal.

“It’s part of the corruption in this country and I call it extortion from fresh graduates who struggled to see themselves through school. They do not have a sustainable reason to ask the corps members to pay N4,000; people who are jobless, who just came out of the university. I call it criminal extortion and we are not in support of it and it must be stooped,” Mr. Rafsanjani said.

According to a statement by the Nigerian Labour Congress [NLC] General Secretary, Peter Ozo-Eson, he accused the NYSC of conspiracy to turn the mobilization of corps members into a money-making venture.

“We certainly find it morally wrong for the authorities to turn this initiative into a money-making venture.

“It is the more in-congruent and unacceptable because it seems the authorities now want to take advantage of the weak and the vulnerable,” the statement said.

The NLC explained that as a general rule, any technology that seeks to increase the cost of production is not worth the effort.“In the instance, we have reason to believe that the online registration initiative helps to reduce both administrative and bureaucratic costs which NYSC had borne all along.

“Embracing technology should reduce operating cost, time and wastage,” it said.

The NLC finally called on the authorities at the NYSC to review the policy.

(Daily Post)