Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, has called on the Federal government to either provide the resources to continue to mandate participation in the National Youth Service Corps scheme or otherwise make it voluntary.

Jega made the call during his address at the Opening Ceremony of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the NYSC earlier on Monday in Abuja where he was the guest lecturer. He added that the service must be retained but must also be repositioned to provide a substantial impact on national development, or else it will not last another ten decades.

“If Nigeria wants to do mandatory youth service for all graduates, then Nigeria must provide resources to do just that. Otherwise, you may as well term it to be voluntary or specialised so that you can have maximum value for your little resources. We must retain this service, but we must reposition it in such a manner that it can provide not only value for money but also have an even more substantial impact on national progress and development, or else it won’t last the next ten decades.”he said