NYSC assures ‘abandoned’ corps members of election allowances

Mr Ebenezer Olawale, the NYSC State Coordinator, Anambra, said that all the corps members brought from Enugu would be paid their election allowances.

Olawale, who reacted to allegations of abandonment of the corps members, said that he got the information at 1.57 p.m. on Saturday.

”I am going to the place where the corps members are kept to see how they are fairing.”

Our correspondent reports that scores of NYSC members drafted from Enugu for Nov.18 governorship election in Anambra are stranded on Saturday.

It was reported that the NYSC members, brought in three luxury buses on Friday Nov.17, were not deployed, but left at Amawbia Office of INEC.

One of the corps members, who preferred anonymity, told NAN on Saturday at Amawbia, that they were brought in from Enugu North Local Government Area in Enugu State for the election, but were not deployed by INEC.

“Most of us are NYSC members serving in Enugu North and other parts of Enugu State, they brought us in three luxurious buses about 3 p.m on Friday, but as we speak, none of us was sent to a work in any polling unit.

“From the time they brought us to this place, (INEC office, Amawbia), they abandoned us. We slept in open halls and exposed to mosquito bites.

“In my rating, the treatment they have given to us so far is like that given to a leprosy patient.

”Nobody asked if we have had breakfast as at noon, nor if we have taken our bath, this situation is a big puzzle for me.

“If I have my way, but for the restriction of movement, I would have gone back to Enugu,” he said.

A female corps member, simply called Iniobong, said she gathered that their abandonment was because a political party contesting the election accused INEC of trying to use NYSC members deployed from Enugu to rig the governorship election.

“I learnt that a political party raised issue of possible usage of NYSC members coming from Enugu to rig election during INEC Stakeholders meeting in Awka on Tuesday.

“Since the issue of suspicion of NYSC coming from Enugu came on Tuesday, NYSC and INEC management should not have allowed us to be brought here on Friday after that Tuesday.

“This manner of treatment is to say the least, very sad and I feel highly pained over the inhuman treatment we are facing here.’’