2019: Kazaure tells corps members to remain neutral

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen Suleiman Kazaure, on Wednesday charged corps members who would serve as ad-hoc electoral officers in the 2019 general elections to maintain neutrality while discharging their duties.

Kazaure gave the charge while addressing the 2018 ‘Batch C’ Stream II members undergoing training at its permanent orientation camp in Afikpo.

The director-general, represented by Mrs Victoria Okakwu, a director in charge of Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) at the National Directorate of NYSC Abuja, urged the corps members to maintain the integrity of the scheme.

He urged them to emulate the 2014 set which did the service proud during the last general election.

Kazaure advised the corps members not to get entangled with politicians, as this could affect their ability to carry out the electoral assignment creditably.

“You must remain unbiased at all times as you carry out this all-important national assignment.

“Know that the future of the country is at stake and the integrity of the scheme is also at stake, so you must do everything to ensure a free and fair election come next year,” he said.

Kazaure warned that any corps member who violated the electoral law would be dealt with accordingly.

Briefing the director-general, the State Coordinator of the Scheme, Mrs Ann Ibe said that at the end of registration, a total of 1681 corps members were screened and registered, comprising 936 male and 745 female.

“Seventy-six of the females were either pregnant or nursing babies, and so had to leave the camp after registration, either on instant relocation or on exit to their homes within Ebonyi State,” Ibe said.

The State Coordinator informed the director-general that 55 corps members with health issues were released to go home on instant relocation.

“Six cases of biometric failure were recorded during the registration process and this has been reported to the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Department at the National Directorate Headquarters, Abuja,” she said.