The National Youth Service Corps has clarified the claims by the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, that holding political office compensated for his refusal to participate in the compulsory national service.

An online news platform Premium Times last Thursday alleged that the minister failed to go for the mandatory one year service.

Shittu, however, holds that his election into the Oyo State House of Assembly immediately after graduation in 1979 replaced the mandatory service.

However, the scheme’s spokesperson, Adenike Adeyemi said Friday in Abuja, that the minister’s claim that holding an elective office suffices for the obligatory national service is incorrect.

She said, “Serving in the National (or state) Assembly is not one of them (conditions for exemption from national service).”

She stated that only four categories of Nigerians from the national service.

Those exempted are those who graduated after their 30th birthday, those who served in the military or the police for at least nine months as well as staff of intelligence agencies.

Those conferred with national honours before graduation are also exempted from the scheme.

The NYSC spokesperson said the provisions of the Act are clear, and that individuals such as Shittu who became a lawmaker at the age of 26 are not exempted.

“You have read the Act and you can see the circumstances where someone is exempted, you analyse it if he [Shittu] was exempted duly or there is a reason why he should have served. But the Act is very straightforward on the grounds for not coming up to serve.

“If you are a graduate locally trained or foreign-trained, as long as you graduate before the age of 30, you are expected to serve. Whether foreign or locally trained, the law is the same. Our youths should be rightly guided that if you were able to complete your studies and as of the date of graduation, you are under 30, you are eligible to serve,” the NYSC spokesperson said.

Adeyemi insisted that the NYSC law gives no preferential treatment to Nigerians other than those exempted by Section 2 of the Act.

“The NYSC was set up to mobilise all eligible Nigerian youths. The Act does not talk about VIPs or children of VIPs. Anyone who is a Nigerian youth, who has a first degree and under the age of 30 must serve, the issue of VIPs or their children does not apply,” she said.

“However, if there is any reason why a corps member needs a concession, the corps member applies and concession is given, for example, for marital reasons and on health grounds. Everyone is treated the same and where concessions are to be given, it is treated. So, VIPs or children of VIPs do not come into the Act and we do not look at that,” she said.

• Sourced from a Vanguard report

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