NAUS frowns at rejection of lab tech graduates by NYSC

The President of the National Association of University Students (NAUS), Comrade Marshall Uchenna Obaji, has frowned at the refusal of the National National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to mobilise science, laboratory, and technology (SLT) graduates for the mandatory one-year service to the nation.

Obaji said it was uncalled for NYSC to reject the science laboratory technology graduates on the grounds that they have not obtained certification from the National Institute for Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT).

NISLT is the government agency that regulates the practice of SLT. It oversees SLT management in secondary schools, colleges of education, polytechnics, universities, research institutes, and industries.

The NAUS President, in reaction to a memo from the national leadership of the National Association of Science Laboratory Technology Students, calling for intervention in the development, urged the Federal Government to immediately intervene in ensuring that lab tech graduates are mobilised for the one-year mandatory service.

“We call on relevant agencies to act on the ongoing imbroglio between the National Association of Science Laboratory Technology Students (NASLTS), the Nigeria Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which has prevented fresh graduates of Nigerian universities from proceeding on their mandatory one-year National Youth Service exercise,” he said.

Obaji stated that the issue was unfortunate and was largely owing to a breakdown in communication and requested that the organisations swiftly address the issue to avoid complications for affected university graduates.

“The prevention of Science Laboratory Technology graduates from gaining access to NYSC orientation camps is unacceptable and must be stopped forthwith, considering that the complications are not the exclusive shortcomings of the students.

“The National Youth Service Corps must not allow the prevention of these qualified students from joining their peers at the orientation camps across the country.

“Similarly, we are calling on the Ministers of Youth and Education, the NYSC DG, and the Nigerian Institute of Science and Laboratory Technology to engage and consult widely to address this issue,” he concluded.