2023 Elections: Lawmaker proposes special life insurance for corp members

A member of the House of Representatives, Ben Igbakpa, representing Ethiope Federal Constituency in Delta State, has said members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) need life insurance, especially for elections in Nigeria.

The lawmaker stated this during an interview while explaining the need for a better welfare package for corp members.

Ibakpa, who sponsored a bill to make NYSC voluntary, also talked about the challenges Nigerian students in diaspora face when they return and are mandated to participate in the scheme before they get jobs.

He said; “We make laws based on the yearnings, aspirations and what the people are crying for. You have just said something different now. That (insurance) can be inculcated in the bill by the time it comes back. Life insurance…yes, it is good because corpers are exposed to a lot of things, especially during elections when they go for special duties.

How many people parents will agree that their wards be sent to the troubled parts of the country, especially where insecurity is prevalent? Nobody. The moment they send your child to Maiduguri (capital of Borno State), it is like a death sentence. Unless we are deceiving ourselves, I don’t think the NYSC is the only reason or source of our unity and integration.”

Speaking on how the voluntary NYSC bill affect Nigerians who school abroad, the legislator said; “It is embarrassing for somebody to live all his or her life abroad acquiring knowledge, only to come into the country and they say because of this NYSC thing … what if somebody is called to come and serve, and the person says ‘I don’t want to get any exemption; I don’t need it?’ Should the person go because we want to respect our laws? I think it should be flexible. That is my take on it.”