NYSC Deploys 134,000 Corps Members For General Elections
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The Director General of National Youth Service Corps NYSC,
Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi, has disclosed that over 134,000 youth
corps members have been trained and registered by the Independent
National Electoral Commission, INEC, to be used in the conduct of the
forthcoming presidential and National Assembly elections respectively.
He also reiterated that the scheme in collaboration with the security agencies had put up a water-tight measure to ensure adequate security of corps members participating in the polls.
Olawumi, who stated this at the weekend, during a media briefing on the 2014 President’s NYSC Honours Award, in Abuja, revealed that 164 winners out of 613 nominations received from across the country were selected for the combined 2012, 2013 and 2014 editions of the award.
He said, “We have our existing MoU with INEC concerning the participation of youth corps members in forthcoming general election in Nigeria.
“And for 2015 election, INEC has brought a new dimension by asking interested corps members that wish to participate in the election to register online and as at the close of registration precisely, January this year, they have about 168,000 that registered.
“Our plan initially was that Batch A of 2014 should be used for that election, unfortunately there is six weeks poll shift. We now realised that we could no longer keep them having passed out on February 19, 2015 in order not to violate the NYSC Acts, and the number of corps members in that category is about 34, 000.
“NYSC then wrote to the INEC to explain to them that about 34,000 of those who have registered are passing out; we cannot hold on to them. Now that they have passed out and if they have to participate in the March 28 and April 11 election, it will not be right for them to participate as corps members
“So, we wrote to them that for this 34,000, they cannot participate as corps members but, because they have been training and you get some other people as ad-hoc staff, if you wish you could still employ them as ad-hoc staff wherever they are since they have registered and you have their data but our conclusion is that wherever they are going to participate, they are not going to wear uniforms and are not going to be under the NYSC.
“Therefore, if we remove 34,000 from 168,000 it will be 134,000 that are going to participate. They have been training and they are ready,” he stated.
Earlier, the NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Abosede Aderibigbe, said they would work concertedly to sustain the scheme on the path of growth and progress so as to make it a leading light to youth organisations in Africa and even beyond.
He also reiterated that the scheme in collaboration with the security agencies had put up a water-tight measure to ensure adequate security of corps members participating in the polls.
Olawumi, who stated this at the weekend, during a media briefing on the 2014 President’s NYSC Honours Award, in Abuja, revealed that 164 winners out of 613 nominations received from across the country were selected for the combined 2012, 2013 and 2014 editions of the award.
He said, “We have our existing MoU with INEC concerning the participation of youth corps members in forthcoming general election in Nigeria.
“And for 2015 election, INEC has brought a new dimension by asking interested corps members that wish to participate in the election to register online and as at the close of registration precisely, January this year, they have about 168,000 that registered.
“Our plan initially was that Batch A of 2014 should be used for that election, unfortunately there is six weeks poll shift. We now realised that we could no longer keep them having passed out on February 19, 2015 in order not to violate the NYSC Acts, and the number of corps members in that category is about 34, 000.
“NYSC then wrote to the INEC to explain to them that about 34,000 of those who have registered are passing out; we cannot hold on to them. Now that they have passed out and if they have to participate in the March 28 and April 11 election, it will not be right for them to participate as corps members
“So, we wrote to them that for this 34,000, they cannot participate as corps members but, because they have been training and you get some other people as ad-hoc staff, if you wish you could still employ them as ad-hoc staff wherever they are since they have registered and you have their data but our conclusion is that wherever they are going to participate, they are not going to wear uniforms and are not going to be under the NYSC.
“Therefore, if we remove 34,000 from 168,000 it will be 134,000 that are going to participate. They have been training and they are ready,” he stated.
Earlier, the NYSC Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Abosede Aderibigbe, said they would work concertedly to sustain the scheme on the path of growth and progress so as to make it a leading light to youth organisations in Africa and even beyond.
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