NYSC appeals to Corpers to return as Election ad hoc staff

Despite the poor treatment of corps members hours leading to the postponement of the 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is appealing to corpers not to neglect their duty posts on Saturday.

INEC ad hoc youth corps staff have called on the NYSC to speak up for them but no signal has come from either party.

On Monday during an interview, Enugu State NYSC Coordinator, Alhaji Ahmed Ikaka, appealed to corps members to put away the idea of boycotting the general elections following the challenges they encountered on Friday and early morning of election day, Saturday February 16th.

He acknowledged the difficulties that some corpers experienced in the state and that some corpers slept on farms and open fields. Later, some local governments intervened by providing some shelter. This was not before some corpers decided they might not continue with the election.

“We are reaching out to them and encouraging them not to be deterred. They know the importance of this election because it is about their future,” he said. About 10,000 corpers were deployed as INEC ad hoc staff in Enugu state. Such a large number of staff deciding to stay away from their duty post would have an adverse effect on the execution of the exercise in the state.

INEC Challenges

Alhaji Ikaka mentioned that the Government had spent a lot of resources to prepare for this election, and with the current situation, sacrifices must to be made by everyone including the voters.

Several quarters have defended the actions of the INEC that it is better to delay the elections and make sure it is conducted the right way than to rush and get it wrong.
He urged corpers to keep calm and prepare themselves for the exercise.

In Ogun State, about 17,000 corps members have been confirmed as ad hoc staff for the election. NYSC has confirmed that each corps member participating in the election would receive a total of N35,000 as duty allowances for the elections.