The National Alliance for Democracy (NAD) has called on former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, and other former Nigerian Presidents to intervene in the proposed reforms of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), warning that some of the changes could undermine the scheme’s founding objectives.

The group expressed concern that aspects of the reforms recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) could weaken the NYSC’s role in promoting national unity, integration and cohesion.

Addressing journalists, the National Convener of NAD, Dr Lucky Eremosele, urged Gowon, who founded the NYSC in 1973, and other former leaders to engage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the proposed changes.

“General Yakubu Gowon and our former Presidents have a historic responsibility to protect the NYSC as a symbol of Nigerian unity. We call on them to immediately engage President Tinubu on these reforms,” he said.

Eremosele said although the alliance supports efforts to modernise the scheme, reforms should not diminish its primary objective of fostering national integration.

“The proposed changes, while claiming to modernise the scheme, risk diluting its primary purpose of fostering national integration. National interest must supersede any rushed alterations that could weaken this vital institution,” he added.

The group argued that amid Nigeria’s security and ethno-religious challenges, the NYSC deployment model has continued to promote interaction and understanding among young Nigerians from different parts of the country.

It called for broader consultations involving the scheme’s founding generation, traditional rulers, youth organisations and civil society groups before any major reforms are implemented.

NAD specifically appealed to former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Ernest Shonekan and Abdulsalami Abubakar to lend their experience to the review process.

According to the group, the involvement of former national leaders would provide a historical perspective and help ensure that reforms strengthen rather than weaken the NYSC.

The alliance also expressed reservations about proposals for technology-driven mobilisation, specialised career streams, civilian leadership, shortened orientation programmes and risk-sensitive deployment, warning that such measures could reduce inter-ethnic interaction or create new inequalities among corps members.

It urged the Federal Government to prioritise the safety and welfare of corps members while preserving the scheme’s original philosophy.

The group further warned that reforms perceived as weakening the NYSC could erode public confidence in one of Nigeria’s longstanding nation-building institutions.

“Any reform must pass the test of national interest. We stand ready to support progressive changes that enhance the NYSC without sacrificing its soul,” Eremosele said. (The Nation)