NYSC DEPLOYS OVER 200,000 CORPS MEMBERS, WARNS THEM NOT TO COLLECT MONEY FROM POLITICIANS
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The Director General of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed, on Tuesday, deployed over 200,000 Corps Members, that will participate in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
Briefing newsmen at the Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim Conference Hall, NYSC NDHQ, Maitama, Abuja, General Ahmed reiterated the collaboration between the NYSC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), adding that it has been wonderful.
He commended the Corps Members for their participation in the past general elections in Nigeria.
Recall that over 75 percent of the total ad-hoc workers are Corps Members.
“We are deploying over 200,000 Corps Members for this exercise. We will give the best we should give to them to be able to discharge their responsibilities well.
“We are sending our Directors, Assistant Directors, and other key officers for sensitization and monitoring to ensure that this election is carried out properly within the ambit of the law.
“The Scheme has equally established a Call Centre here in the Headquarters to monitor and respond to distress calls anywhere a Corp Member is trapped. We have equally detailed people to be in charge of it 24 hours throughout the election exercise.
“I want to brief you on what is happening in the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in respect of the forthcoming general elections. As you are aware the collaboration between the NYSC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), began in 2011 and the young men and ladies have performed wonderfully well in the past elections both at federal and state levels.
“They have done very well and have received commendations from within Nigeria and internationally, particularly those that were in the monitoring and as observers. They have commended the efforts of these young Nigerians who have sacrificed their time and energy in giving the best for the country.
“It is not out of place to tell you again that NYSC Corps Members are ever ready to do it again just as they have done it before. Those who are participating in these elections have already been trained; some of them were trained in the Camp and those who have already passed out were trained by INEC,” he said.
NYSC boss stressed that the Corps Members have been admonished on the need to work for the interest of Nigeria adding that necessary guidelines have been given to them.
He stated that they have been informed and that the Corps Members are ready to give their best, explaining that the NYSC is expecting nothing short of their professional conduct in the exercise of the all-important assignment.
“The Corps Members have been reminded to do and engage in every established law as given to them by INEC. What is on the letter here for me is to mention the security of these Corps Members.
“Since I took over the leadership of this scheme, I have had meetings with the security agencies, particularly the Police. I have met with the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Security (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). I have equally met with the INEC itself and every hand are on deck to ensure the Corps Members are secured.
“Right from where they will be picked to their various designation of assignment. INEC has assured us that they will convey the Corps Members to and fro their respective assigned duty post and lodgment. The Police equally assured us of maximum protection of Corps Members.
“Not only that, the NYSC officials on their own have taken out sensitization with Corps Members participating in the elections to acquaint them on the importance of their personal security; the importance of handling and maintaining the ethics of the Scheme. As you are aware, Corps Members are apolitical; they don’t belong to any political party, they don’t support any political party and they are spread all over the country.
According to the NYSC boss, one of the ethics of the deployment was that they don’t deploy Corps Members to their states of origin, or within their region, stressing that they spread them across the nation.
He said the essence was to build better and more credible men and women who would discharge their responsibilities without bias.
“We have also informed the NYSC members that apart from being guided by the rules and regulations, they must also abide by the common rules established by INEC. They are aware of what to do and what not. They are not there as security officials but as ad-hoc staff for election duties. Any gadgets or equipment given to them are not to be used as security officers but as INEC ad-hoc staff as instructed,” he stated.
He advised the Corps Members to contact nearby security personnel and hand over equipment in their possession. He reminded them to always hand over to security personnel, and write their reports before submitting them to the INEC.
He said what was important is for them to be secured adding that they should do what is expected of them.
NYSC boss disclosed that his priority since he assumed office was to better the welfare and the security of the Corps Members stating that he had presented the welfare of the Corps Members to the INEC, adding that the INEC had promised to take care of the Corps Members’ welfare, including their allowances, lodgments, and other issues.
Dogara Ahmed, however, admonished Corps Members to be mindful of their safety in any environment they may find themselves.
According to Dogara Ahmed, Corps Members must not accept gifts or food from any politician, reminding them that gratification from anybody is not allowed. He urged them to do their national duties assigned to them.
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