N.Y.S.C To Redeploy Corps Members From "Volatile States" In Northern Nigeria

Bowing to pressure from graduates, their parents and other organizations, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is to redeploy prospective corps members who have been posted to "volatile states" in Northern Nigeria.

Several stakeholders, including the House of Representatives and some state Houses of assembly, have been voicing their opposition to the posting of graduates from the South to the troubled Northern states. On Tuesday, the Lagos State House of Assembly rejected the posting of graduates from Lagos state to the northern states after National Youth Service Corps members from Lagos State University staged a protest in front of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Corps members who were posted to Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Kano and Kaduna States have been directed to report to the NYSC Directorate headquarters in Abuja for redeployment and Corps members posted to Yobe and Borno States are now to carry out their orientation at the NYSC camps in Nasarawa and Benue States respectively. The orientation dates for Yobe and Borno states remain July 26, 2012 and August 16, 2012, but it is not clear if the Corps members will have to return to Yobe and Borno states after their orientation exercise.

A statement by the Director General of the NYSC said, "Yobe State prospective corps members will now hold their orientation course at the Nasarawa State NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Keffi, Keffi LGA, and not as stated in their call-up letters. Borno State prospective corps members will undertake their orientation programme at the Benue State NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp at Wanume, Tarka LGA, and not as stated in their call-up letters."

In 2011, several Corps members were killed in election related violence in some of the Northern states.