NYSC remains important stakeholder in electoral process in Nigeria – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) remains one of the most critical and strategic partners among its stakeholders.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Ondo state, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said this when she played host to the new NYSC Coordinator in the state, Mr Samuel Pepple, in Akure on Friday.

Babalola said that the NYSC had been supplying dedicated, disciplined and committed corps members for the execution of elections in the state.

She said that it was an incontrovertible fact that NYSC had array of mobile and intelligent graduate youths who were versatile in the use of information technology.

According to the REC, this has been a plus for the electoral body.

“The state coordinator, I want to congratulate you on your well deserved appointment as the new NYSC boss in the Sunshine state.

“I want to pray that as your predecessors succeeded, you will equally succeed in this challenging task.

“I want to say that I had useful deliberations with your immediate predecessor and I strongly believe that we shall build on the synergy already established.

“NYSC has been a formidable and dependable ally to INEC because of the quality of corps members and staff that are continually released to the electoral body to serve as ad-hoc staff.

“And I want to say that INEC is impressed with the conduct of the personnel, especially the corps members,” she said.

The INEC boss gave an assurance that the body would continue to provide adequate security and appreciable welfare in line with modern day reality for corps members to be engaged as ad hoc staff.

Speaking earlier, Pepple said that the aim of the visit was to rub minds with the INEC management ahead of the off-cycle election in the state.

Pepple, while thanking his host for accepting to see her despite her crowded schedules, reiterated the non-negotiable stand of the NYSC management on corps members’ security and welfare during training and election duties.

Pepple, while pledging to do the best to sustain the synergy between the two agencies thanked the commission for the sustained confidence in the members of the NYSC.

“We are birthed by the same government and it is imperative to say that we shall be relating from time to time so that the mandate of the commission will be successfully accomplished.

“On our part, we shall continue to do our best in the interest of national development,” he said.