DG NYSC charges corps members on good conduct during polls

By Ahmed Abubakar

As preparations for the February 14 elections approaches youth corps members participating as adhoc staff for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), were strongly warned against compromising with the whims and caprice of politicians on the Election Day.

The Director General, DG, of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Olawumi on Wednesday who sounded the warning said “those of you partaking in the election exercise as adhoc staff must not in any way engage in conducts that would tantamount to be interpreted as compromise to any particular political party or candidate”.

Adding that, “the NYSC directorate would not intervene on behalf of any youth corps member that is caught misbehaving in whatever manner that goes against the electoral laws”.General Olawumi who handed down the warning during his visit to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, said that the warning became necessary as the potential corps members, “now do their registrations for the scheme online and all of them are believed to be above 18 years of age as such old enough to stand prosecution when they derail”.

According to him, “Since I assumed office last year, everywhere I have been going I have been warning the corps members against any misconduct when they go for elections duties as any of them caught for any misconduct will be made to face the weight of the law and not the Scheme because all of them are above 18 years of age”.

Speaking, the Chairman of the Commission,Prof. Jega assured that the Commission would provide adequate security for the corps members before, during and after the polls at polling centres,collation centres

and their lodges to avoid the repeat of the 2011 ugly incidence when some corps members lost their lives during the post elections’ violence.

Jega said that though as pointed by Gen Olawumi that the participation of the corps members in the electoral processes was voluntary, the Commission would do its best to minimise the challenges being faced by them through improvement on their welfare and security in all elections.