 Hello, it's another edition of PLOS Reports, a compilation of the stories and events that made the news recently. Welcome, I'm Jacinta Ubiuku. We begin the program with the commemoration of democracy 2021, which held on June 12. It has been 22 years since the military handed over power to an elected civilian government. We went to the field to have a review of what June 12 means to a set of people, popularly known as millenials, and Generation Z. 28 years ago, an estimated 14 million Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic, religious, class and regional affiliations, in a period when religious acrimony and tension had reached its zenith. They fired bad weather to elect their president with the hope of ending dark days of military dictatorship. But today, how did the social-minded millenial understand the priorities of older generations? It's a day Nigeria was set free from the colonial masters. Democracy means freedom for the people, by the people and of the people. So I believe as young people, we should be able to express ourselves. I think every Nigerian remember that for yesterday, Nigeria gained independence from the colonial masters. June 12 is democracy day, and today we had a freedom to vote for who we want, whom we want at what particular time. Is this feedback something to worry about, as regards the death of history among the millenial? It's unfortunate that we have generations who does not understand what June 12 is all about. And who should we blame? Who will blame 30 sets of people? One, the government. They didn't really emphasize it. They didn't put premium on it. They never saw the significance of June 12, so they never promoted it. That is why. Secondly, we should blame the educational system that does not value history. And this is also a policy issue. It's our government. You see that at a particular point, history was banned in this country. Then the third level of people are the so-called national orientation agencies. You want to ask them, what are they doing, what are they orientating? Where is the national citizenship education? They're not doing it. And on the rejection of the renaming of Union Lag after MKO, could it be that he was not really respected by both students and alumni? It is the coining of that name that was a problem. It doesn't come from that brand. So you put a malud. Malud in Yoruba means malu. And you know what students really like? They will say, ah, hey, I'm a malu. I'm the student of malu. So those are the things those students have reacted against. And secondly, the academic field is slighted. And this is not what they do. You see, let me also say this. All men of people using the name of an institution is bigger than personality. You see, even to name an institution, I've seen that trend. I think it's a bad trend. Don't name an institution after anybody. Social conversation continues on what constitutes history, individuals or people. The lesson here, according to social commentators, is that heroes and their exploits should not be discarded into the being of history. The Student Union movement was not left out in the struggle for the emancipation of June 12. And it I felt it spoke to some Student Union leaders who are non-current leaders of thoughts. Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre at Biola Akiode was a 22-year-old Student Union leader at the Obafemi Awolowo University in 1993. The year of the popular June 12 presidential election in Nigeria. She recalls the militarised political climate at the time and the democratic yearnings of Nigerians like it was yesterday. Nigeria was in a bad situation. Terrible militaristic experience of Nigerians have had. So Nigerians were ready to have a democratic experience. When the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida annouced the election of June 12, 1993, Abiola and other student leaders at IFE and the University of Lagos rose up to advocate for democracy in the face of threats to their lives and freedom. A lot of people lost their lives during that period. Some of us were picked up, were arrested, were prevented from travelling to go and talk about the issue. I remember I was picked up on my way to a binary public with Dr. Tungi Abayomi. Nadeco member Ayodele Adewale was a student union president at the Lagos State University and one of the foot soldiers of the June 12 struggle. His experience fighting for democracy was no different from Abiola's. We were always agitating. The soldiers would come, we would shoot at us with pure gas. Sometimes we threw the tear gas back. Abiola reflects on the day June 12, 1993 and what it means for Nigeria. June 12 was a journey. And it was a journey that shows that Nigerias were serious. Nigerians rejected the military and we didn't stop. A lot of people died, a lot of people were maimed, a lot of people were expelled, a lot of people were suspended. A lot of people spent more time in prison than they could ever imagine. But Nigerias were resolute. On June 12, Nigeria stood. Even though MK-O Abiola passed on in prison, Ayodele describes June 12 and the struggle for the soul of democracy has unregretable. Yes, we might not have the kind of democracy that we want. We feel far better than being in a military gulag. If we have more ideological sound people in this democratic system, then we can gain power. All the prominent names of the June 12 struggle are Chief Ghanifawaemi, Dr. Beko Rantam Kuti, Prof. Wole Shoinka, Pa Ayo Okpadokun, among others. Years later, on June 12, 2018, President Muhammad Buhari apologized to the family of late Chief MK-O Abiola and conferred a posthumous award on him as the grand commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria GCFR. The day June 12 also became recognized as the New Democracy Day and is celebrated annually as a reminder of the democratic possibilities in Nigeria. And Neta, Felix, PLOS TV Africa. Over now to National Youth Service call which turned 48 since inception. Call members in Lagos State have commemorated the landmark anniversary with a unity march held at the orientation camp in the Anabaja area of the state. PLOS TV Africa's correspondent Destiny Momo has more. This time around, it is not a traditional orientation camp march path, nor the traditional passing out parade. It is for the existence of an NYS scheme for almost half a century. As the call members marched in unity, it brought to the fore the purpose of the scheme, which is primarily to inculcate in Nigerian youth the spirit of selfless service to the community and to emphasize the spirit of oneness and brotherhood of all Nigerians irrespective of cultural or social background. It's the unity march organized by the National Youth Service call which is the National Youth Service call turned 48. As a lot of coppers poured out had broken moments of how they feel if the scheme will be scrapped, others poured the advantages that the scheme has brought to our national unity and national development. State coordinator and call members speak about the reason the scheme must continue against the backdrop of recent call for it to be scrapped. We are going through it as an entity and we should understand what is going on and not calling for the scrapping of an institution like this that is helping the Nigerian society to grow. Look at the doctors in Lagos. I have over 400 doctors and we are doctors in Lagos finding it very difficult to walk. My call members go to the rural health centers to walk. We are there, there is no electricity, no water. They stay there to walk. Look at the educational system. You won't believe it. Some of the call members are principals and headbusters. Before I came into camp I might have had a different opinion but coming into camp and being part of the camp experience in a whole way, I think that it will be a wrong move. I think that those calling for the scrapping of the scheme are probably not looking at it holistically and looking at it from a point, a viewpoint especially for us who are in the system. First of all we need to understand what NYSE is all about. It's meant to reconstruct, rebuild and reconcile. It is a baby that we have to tender to. You cannot scrap it. It is there, it is effective. I'm a product of it and I'm proud of it. Why do we want to scrap a program that has done so much for the youth? Why do we want to scrap a program that has given the youth one year of work experience? Why do we want to scrap a program that is doing so while helping the community development service? I don't quite understand the motive behind it. On the comments making the round saying core members should be trained for war front the core members have this to say. We are not giving AK-47s here. We are taught and trained on how to help the community. We are taught and trained on how to do things to develop the community. The NYSE as a scheme we fight various kinds of war war against indiscipline, war against corruption, war against laziness. The NYSE scheme was created in a bid to reconstruct reconcile and rebuild the country after the Nigerian Civil War on the 22nd of May 1973. It was also established with a view to foster unity among the youth and the promotion of national unity. Destiny Momo for Plus TV Africa. Now I recalled a member of the House of Assembly had moved for the scheme to be scrapped while youth and sports minister Sondre Dari said despite the security concerns raised as one of the major reasons. The scheme will remain. You're watching Plus Report. There is more after this break.