Corps Members May Not Participate In Future Elections -DG

Brig-Gen. Okore-Affia, the Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), says the commission is reconsidering the participation of youth corps members in future elections.

Speaking when the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Tuesday, Okore-Affia called for an urgent review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between INEC and NYSC.

“You will agree with me that there is an urgent need to review the MOU between INEC and NYSC, because as far as I am concerned, it is one-sided, because it did not cater for the interest and wellbeing of corps members deployed on electoral duties.

“The NYSC wants to ask for a verifiable proof of the preparedness of INEC to put in place measures that will ensure both the safety and wellbeing of corps members.”

Okore-Affia said that if verifiable proof of the safety of corps members was not given by INEC, the NYSC would scale down on the involvement of corps members in future elections.

He said a situation where young graduates trained by their parents up to the university level ended up being victims of electoral violence was unacceptable.

“It is in compliance with the NYSC regulations that corps members are posted to areas other than where they come from. Killing them is not part of the agenda of national youth service.”

Okore-Affia said the NYSC would no longer expose the corps members to death in the name of election, “because they are investment by their parents”.

“Corps members are free born and not captives, and will therefore not be allowed to be beheaded.”

Responding, Jega said the contribution of NYSC to the 2011 general elections was highly commendable, noting, however, that it was a matter for regret that some corps members lost their lives in the process.

He said he could not undermine the contribution of corps members to the success of the general elections.

Jega promised that appropriate measures would be put in place to motivate those who were willing to participate in future elections.

“INEC will do everything to encourage and motivate the corps members and also ensure that they are involved in the electoral process.”

The INEC chairman announced that the commission still had six governorship and some bye elections to conduct, noting that corps members would still be required to contribute their quota to the success of the exercise.

He berated those who were calling for the regionalisation of the NYSC after the last electoral mayhem, describing the scheme as the single most important integration factor in the country.

“We need patriotic, selfless and energetic young men and women for the conduct of elections, and we are resolved to provide additional security for the corps members.”

He said that training on electoral matters would be included in the curriculum of NYSC at the orientation camp.