FILE: A National Youth Service Corps member prepare to leave the orientation camp in Kubwa, Abuja, on March 18, 2020, following an order by the Nigerian Government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. - The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a scheme set up by the Nigerian government to involve Nigerian graduates in nation building and the development of the country, has shut down all its orientation camps nationwide and has sent home all corps members as a way of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging nations across the world. (Photo by Kola Sulaimon / AFP)

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, says corps members are still ready for the Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections, in spite of apprehensions for their safety.

Ahmed said this during an interview on the Channels Television election program, “The 2023 Verdict”, on Friday evening.

Brigadier-General Ahmed said this while responding to questions about the unwillingness of some of the corps members to return to the polling units after some of them were attacked during the February 25 general elections.

He added that most of the apprehension for the safety of the corps members came from parents.

“I have always talked about this matter; where there are security concerns, we do not send corps members there. So, there is no issue that corps members are apprehensive, or they are afraid they will not go out. The same number we trained, the same number we deployed (for the presidential elections), are still ready to avail themselves of this exercise. So, there is nothing like the issue of apprehension.

Most of this apprehension is expressed by parents. These young Nigerians are prepared to give the best they can,” he said.

Recall that the DG had earlier met with the Heads of the major security agencies in Bauchi State, on Thursday, to seek maximum security of corps members during their duties as ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Ahmed added that the majority of the corps members had been paid their allowances for their service during the presidential election, except for a few whom he said had issues with their account details and would be sorted by Monday.

“Their welfare has actually been catered for. Majority of them have been paid all their allowances. However, there are a few of them that have some hitches here and there, in some isolated states. And this is not actually a big problem.

More so, the problem is from the account numbers given to the INEC. And as of today, most of those problems are

being rectified, and I’m sure between now and Monday, everybody must have been paid.” he said.

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