GHOST CORPS MEMBER’ SAGA

The rapid growth of ghost civil servants is no longer news in government parastatals. This culture is a manifestation of how deep corruption has eaten into our nation’s fabric.

In a desperate mind to either legally or otherwise share in the national cake, ghost workers have for so many years been existing on payment vouchers to the extent that people have acculturated to the situation as normal life.

However, this social misnomer which is one of factors bedevilling the national development has embarked on its unprogressive campaign into the National Youth service Corps (NYSC) scheme. Almost 69 fake members of NYSC were recently arrested at the orientation camp in Keffi, Nassarawa state by Vigilance of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

 

Surprisingly, a nursing mother who people believed should mature enough to differentiate between right and wrong for her child was not excluded in this shameful business

Moreover, the situation seems the same in the Centre of Commerce where a ghost NYSC member was caught claiming the monthly allowance which belongs  to other corps members in three different banks. According to an impeccable source, the suspected corps member participated in the three weeks orientation course, took photograph with NYSC uniform (fully kitted) and he reportedly collected huge amount of money before he was arrested by the police.

Seemingly, the drop-out students in various tertiary institutions also admires the NYSC scheme without following the due process by meeting up with the requisite requirements of serving their fatherland. A question begging for an answer is that do they have the mission of national commitment or in a bid to benefit from the little amount being paid to corps members.

Also, to be more realistic that poverty and the problem of youth unemployment is still the matter of the day in the country, some corps members deliberately served in two consecutive years and were included in the pay roll of serving corps members’ monthly allowance.

It is no doubt that this attitude will not only thwart the effectiveness of NYSC aims and objectives but also tarnish the image of the scheme if proper measures are not put in place to curtail the situation.

However, it has also been observed that the action of ghost corps member might not be successful without the influence of some corrupted NYSC officials. The rigorous screening process during and after registration in three weeks orientation course is enough to uncover these perpetrators if proper supervision is exercised and the staff refrain themselves from any act capable of fuelling corrupt practices.

Therefore, the series of campaign in respect of adopting the developmental strategies to move the scheme forward will be more effective if stakeholders put all hands on deck to curtail any sort of unlawful acts of which ghost corps members’ saga is in attendant.

It is also imperative for the NYSC management to make a provision for the additional sophisticated facilities that will uncover the identity of ghost corps members to avoid giving the agitators a genuine excuse to defend themselves in the name of calling for the scrapping of the scheme.

Pragmatic approach should be given to monthly supervision of corps members by the concerned officials as it is scheduled in the line up activities of NYSC. Any official member found guilty of involving in this social vice should face the wrath of law and be punished accordingly.

Optimistically, the above recommendations will encourage that have meaningful contributions towards the grassroots development without any side attraction from this unprogressive union called ghost corps members.

Under the sun or in the rain, the struggle of selfless service for the nation must continue!