Corps Members Threaten Saturday’s Polls

Except there is a quick fix by the authorities, this Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections might suffer a very serious setback again.

Aggrieved members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) currently being engaged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of this year’s elections are threatening a big showdown with the electoral agency over an alleged neglect and maltreatment.

They are already calling on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to warn INEC never to invite them again on any of electoral assignment. ‘’Do it yourself and let’s see if you will subject yourself to such injustice’’, the protesting corps members said.

In a presentation to the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the obviously bitter corps members detailed their ugly experiences and total neglect in terms of welfare since they were hired by the electoral agency.

In an open letter dated February 16, 2019 and signed by one David Frank, on their behalf, the corps members, according to Tribune Online, drew the attention of Yakubu to the predicaments they have so far suffered across the nation with no hope of being addressed by the commission

They are also calling on the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig-Gen S. Z. Kazaure, to immediately denounce whatever agreement he must have entered with INEC which allowed the treatment of corps members as slaves.

According to the protesting corps members, ‘’we thank you and your entire staff for your resilience and commitment towards giving Nigerians a credible election. We also wish to draw your attention to the plight and neglect which we the members of the NYSC were subjected to all over the country and we warn that we shall give you the full length of our tongues if this abuse of privilege is not put under check by your Commission.

‘’In the same vein, we call on the DG of NYSC, Kazaure as a matter of urgency to denounce whatever form of agreement he entered with INEC that prompted INEC to think we could be used as sacrificial lambs all in the name of working as electoral umpires

‘’Sir, you and your Commission lured us to traps yesterday (Friday). You mandated all Corps members to locate their pulling units and sleep over to the following day for election without any plan as to the welfare of the Corps members

‘’We slept under the moonlight with natural AC from heaven freezing our body. We fought with mosquitoes, ants and all the beasts that fly at night. It was a terrible and horrible experience. Our colleagues in the northern part of the country suffered regrettably under the cold north-east wind which blows across the Sahara desert and fetches the poor corps members on the green hillsides.

‘’There were cases of threats to life when attempts were made by marauders to snatch away materials under our custody without security. It was inhumane of you, Mr Chairman. With the hell we went through, we were not remunerated. We left stranded and frustrated.

‘’Some of us that the Commission relocated from East to West and from South to North, we went back to our various PPAs on our own. This is man’s inhumanity to man, Mr Chairman. We write to inform you that we have lost hope and confidence on this Commission and as such, not interested on your ad-hoc duties.

‘’Allow us to concentrate on our compulsory services to the nation. Another form of scam but we are contented compared to the death warrant you almost lured us into signing.’’

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