By Latiifah Amusan
Renowned actress, Kate Henshaw has stirred a debate with her recent statement urging the discontinuation of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program.
The actress, who is also a strong supporter of adolescent safety and empowerment, has raised concerns about the safety of program participants, particularly those who are underage.
The NYSC program, initially established to foster unity, cultural exchange, and national integration among young Nigerians, is now under scrutiny as Henshaw questions its relevance in the face of contemporary challenges.
Henshaw’s primary apprehension revolves around the safety of corps members during their service year, especially as they are deployed to various locations across the country.
Recent incidents involving security threats targeting corps members in different regions have ignited concerns about the feasibility of ensuring their protection throughout the program.
Taking to her official Twitter account, Henshaw shared her perspective:
“When I served in the North, it was a very memorable experience. Traveling from Bauchi by road to the airport was safe & then flying to Lagos just with my NYSC ID card, which also got me a rebate on my ticket. It’s time to SCRAP this idea since corpers can’t travel within this country without LET OR HINDRANCE! Stop putting the lives of young people at risk with moribund ideas. Security is a priority & needs to be sorted totally, not technically.”
