HeadlineINEC Assures Corps Members Of Adequate Protection During Elections

INEC Assures Corps Members Of Adequate Protection During Elections

January 06, (THEWILL) – Ahead of the February 25 Presidential election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on election duties as ad hoc staff of their safety during the polls

The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, gave the assurances on Friday, in Abuja, when he led management staff of the Commission to pay a courtesy visit to the Acting Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs Christy Uba.

Yakubu, who described the role of corps members as the most critical in the election process, said they operate at the most important level of election (the polling unit), the only level where citizens actually vote.

“So, for that reason, we will also extend insurance cover in case of injury or other emergencies to all corps members involved in election duty.

“Working with the security agencies, we will also extend protection and security to the youth corps members’ lodges when they are deployed to the field on election days.

“This is because we have had some unhappy experiences before, when some hoodlums raided the corps members’ lodges in some places, while they were on election duty.

“So, we will continue to take whatever step that is necessary to protect and guarantee the security and welfare of the corps members,” he said, adding that the corps members are more involved immediately after the voting processes are over.

“They record the results on the result sheets. When all the party agents have signed, then, they will be responsible for snapping the result at that level, using the BVRS, and transmitting same in real-time,” he said.

He also assured that there would be training and retraining of the ad hoc staff, in the handling of election technology.

“They will be responsible for the management of the polling units, management of elections resources including sensitive materials, accreditation of voters, using the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVRS) on election days.’’

In her response, Uba expressed the NYSC’s continued readiness to partner with the commission.

“On preparation for the 2023 general elections, we have directed State Coordinators to encourage corps members to register on the INEC portal, and I believe they have done that.

“Corps’ Welfare and Service Department is expected to visit states to assure corps members and staff of the commitment of INEC and NYSC, to their safety while on election duties.

“This is to further encourage them, given the situation we have found ourselves in. They need to be assured that their security is being taken care of,” she said, adding that State Coordinators had been directed to combine names and phone numbers of key security personnel in the states and Local Government Areas for dissemination to corps members, who wish to participate in the exercise.

Mrs Uba said all State Coordinators had also been directed to liaise with all Directorate of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies, to identify crisis-prone areas in the state so that such volatile areas will be forwarded to the NYSC headquarters for monitoring.

Uba said that in view of the number of corps members that would be required by INEC, the scheme had concluded plans to hold the 2023 Batch A Stream One course in January.

This, she said, would add to the number of corps members, who would be available to participate in the process.

“We need to work in our present reality, there is the need to review the allowances paid to the corps members. The chairman should please look at the conditions and ensure some level of improvement as contained in the MoU,” she appealed.

About the Author

Homepage | Recent Posts

More like this
Related

Tinubu Appoints Abdullahi Bello New Chairman Of Code Of Conduct Bureau

March 28, (THEWILL)- President Bola Tinubu has approved the...

First Lady Remi Tinubu Pledges N1bn To Fight Tuberculosis In Nigeria

March 28, (THEWILL)- Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu,...