Ahead of Saturday election in Osun state, the management of the National Youth Service Corps has fired important warning to its corps members over elect0ral malpractice
While speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, the Osun State coordinator of the NYSC, Emmanuel Attah, said corps members who engage in any form of elect0ral malpractice during Saturday’s Osun election are “on their own” and would face the full wrath of the law.
The official of the National Youth Service Corps who made the disclosure ahead of the Osun state election, said he was confident that the corps members would perform well.
He said:
“Our corps members in the state of Osun are prepared to discharge their duties with all patriotism and zeal.
“We have talked with them, we have sensitised them, and one thing we keep harping on, not just of recent, in fact in the past few months, the NYSC is apolitical. We don’t belong to any political party. We belong to all.
“The NYSC over the years have given credibility to the Nigerian elect0ral process and we intend to maintain such. They have their names to protect, the names of their families. They have their own integrity to protect.
“We have told them, the uniform they put on is not immunity in committing any elect0ral offence. I must say that I have full confidence in the corps members to discharge their duties as prescribed to them by INEC and I have confidence that they will never let this nation down,” he said.
On the allegation made by some political parties that the NYSC was working with certain political parties to manipulate the card readers, Attah said the allegations were baseless and an attempt by the parties to “hype themselves”.
He said:
“I want to say that as far as we are concerned in this election, nobody has approached us and nobody can approach us.
“We have said it, we are apolitical, and we have said it that anybody who dares to intimidate our corps members or make any attempt at our corps member, we will not take it lightly. These are our children. They have been called to duty to serve this country and we are ready to protect them.
“The security agencies have assured us of their safety, both during and after the election, and I have absolute confidence in the security apparatus of the state. We have met with them severally and they have given us that guarantee.
“What is important is for the people here to know that in as much as other people’s children are serving in this state; their children are also serving in other states.”
Attah added that the corps members had been well ‘motivated’ for the job and the citizens “should simply cooperate with them so they could deliver optimally for the credibility and acceptability of Saturday’s election”.
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