After the stampedes and deaths from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) jobs test on March 15, this year, many seem to have regarded every request for a fee for digital services as a scam. The suspicion appears deeper if a government agency is making the request. But the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which now demands N4, 000 from each prospective corps member for biometric services, processing of call-up letters and more, does not aim to “rob” and kill job applicants like the NIS; its goal is to save lives instead. And, by making the use of digital services optional for the corps members, the NYSC has received our vote.
DG of NYSC Brig-Gen. Johnson Bamidele Olawumi has clearly stated the advantage of the new initiative: it is for the ease and safety of prospective corps members. A resident of Kano who studied in Lagos would not need to travel over 1, 000km to his school in search of NYSC call-up letter. Apart from the transport fares (perhaps 10 times N4, 000), the fresh graduate faces the risk of accidents and has to pay for his or her upkeep for at least two nights. Another graduate from the same school who lives in Lagos may also decide not to use the digital service and drive to the school to pick his call-up letter. The latter graduate is, no doubt, not any wiser. Even though he has the advantage of nearness, he has to contend with losing his letter while transiting from his school to the orientation camp. When the plight of those who live or studied abroad is considered, the NYSC’s generosity becomes obvious.
Young people especially should not expect government or any agency that represents it to provide every online service for free. Even social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter appear to be free, yet they are not really free: it costs money to enjoy internet service. So when the NYSC demands a paltry fee for the processing of digital information that would be to the benefit of prospecting corps members, let nobody raise eyebrows. In the digital age, no business organisation or government agency can afford to be left behind. Broadcasting stations, for instance, have barely eight months to migrate to the digital platform or go off air. Electronic voting will make elections freer, fairer and more credible. Population censuses have little choice now between going digital and remaining analogue. JAMB, NECO, WAEC and other examination bodies are already conducting, or are on the way to conducting, their exams online.
Anyone opposing the new NYSC initiative should say when he wrote a letter last. Who travels, these days, to hold a conversation with a relation when she can call the relation on the phone? The world has changed and everyone has changed with it. The NYSC, which prides itself on being the most viable programme of the Nigerian government so far, cannot be any different. In any case, it has not threatened to victimise anyone who chooses not to pay for digital services; it is not a condition for performing the mandatory national service.
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