The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday assured that the safety of the National Youth Service Corps members is a priority in the forthcoming elections.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by the Director-General, NYSC, Brigadier-General Yushau Ahmed, at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
INEC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the leadership of the NYSC on the deployment of corps members as Ad hoc staff during the general election.
Yakubu stated that security would not only be provided for corps members deployed to work at the polling units, it would also extend to their camps.
He said, “No electoral commission anywhere in the world conducts elections on the strength of its own regular staff members. For us in INEC, we are lucky to have this large pool of those on national service to compliment us.
“We are concerned about the comfort, safety and security of the corps members. We will continue to make them comfortable ahead of their deployment to polling units.
“We will even extend security to the NYSC camps as well.
“You have asked about their safety after the elections. I have emphasised to the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers that Corps members must not be abandoned after the elections but brought back to base.
“On training, we are training them in camp, so that by the time they are deployed they are already trained. I want to assure that before they leave camp, those in Enugu and Kano would have been trained before February 14.
“We will work together to train them ahead of their deployment. We will keep to the MOU we signed with the NYSC. We are like Siamese twins and we will continue to work together.
“Be assured that the security of the corpers will be given priority, we are also concerned. It is a call to duty.”
Earlier in his remarks, Brigadier Ahmed assured the INEC Chairman that his agency “will work tirelessly to ensure that all the terms and conditions of MOU are met.
“We are already sensitising those on national service to allay their fears. It is an assignment they should be proud to carry out. I know you are talking day and night to talk to security chiefs, to ensure security of corps members.”