The Director-General of the National Youths Service Corps -NYSC, Brig. Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim, disclosed recently that serving corps members can be mobilized as soldiers to fight for the country if war arises.
Brig.Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim made the announcement on Channels Television Sunrise programme.
He stated that NYSC members are part of the nation’s defense policy and are defense reserves, adding that they can quickly be trained and pushed out to defend the country within shorter periods, given the training they’ve received in the three weeks orientation camp.
In stating his reason, the DG said the following;
“Corps members are on reserve. They are part of the national defense policy of this country. So, where there is serious war, our corps members are educated, they are knowledgeable and they can be trained. You see the drill and so on.
“You can imagine within the short three weeks in the orientation camps, the corps members are molded. They are like soldiers. You see female corps members blowing the army horn, playing with the military band.
“So, if not for the knowledge, where are you going to mobilise such young Nigerians to train them quickly to put in their best for the country? So, corps members are on reserve. They are also part of the national defence policy.”
The NYSC director disclosed it while addressing the issue of the call to scrap the mandatory annual NYSC program.
