A bill seeking an amendment to the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Act, has suffered a setback at the second reading in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly following concerns that such amendment requires altering the constitution.
While shedding more light on the bill, a PDP Senator from Taraba, Emmanuel Bwacha, said the amendment was meant to give corps members the liberty of digressing from the rigid adherence to the NYSC uniform specification.
“This particular amendment, especially in section 13 and 16 of the principal act, is to ensure that regulations made by the directorate prescribing drills and uniform for exercise do not violate certain religious practices.
“The uniform adopted for corps members have become a basis for controversy between the directorate and the public.
“In fact, some corps members drop out of service because of conflict they’ve witnessed. The major bone of contention is that some of the drills and uniform contravene the religious belief of corps members and invariably denying them the right of religion, thought and conscience,” he said.
The attention of Mr Bwacha was, however, called by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu to the provisions of Section 9 (2) of the Constitution.
Mr Ekweremadu said: “Section 9 (2) of the Constitution says that for you to amend the Constitution, it has to pass through the Senate and the state assemblies.
“We have to follow the same process as if we are amending the Constitution. What we are trying to do here is like to amend the NYSC Act. I understand your position, we have to follow that process.”
However, Mr Bwacha insisted that he introduced the bill in order to increase the powers of the directorate to address issues pertaining to dress code, adding that the bill did not scale through because it was largely misunderstood.
“The reason being that it was not intended to amend the Constitution, the issue in question, particularly the dress code has to do with the powers vested on the directorate by itself. The Constitution does not mention dress code for the NYSC.
“This bill arose as a result of series of complains I have received across Nigeria from those who have fallen out of service because they are not in agreement with the use of trouser as a female. They took up the complaint but the directorate didn’t give them attention.
“There are several number of corpers who refuse to continue with NYSC because they believe wearing of trouser as a female in public offends their faith.
“This issue is not controversial, it’s a simple policy statement by NYSC that would have changed it. But year-in, year-out, it has been so difficult. It has nothing to do with religion.”
He added that corps members should be allowed to wear skirts if doing otherwise offends their belief.
“A lady who feels offensive of wearing a trouser should be allowed to put skirt on top during drilling so that it doesn’t inconvenient her. We are saying some people should have the freedom to choose.”
