The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said, only the disabled National Youth Service Corps members would be deployed as Adhoc staff in the February 25 Presidential Election to serve as the Presiding Officers during the exercise.
Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the assurance on Friday when he led a delegation of INEC, comprising National Commissioners, Directors and the technical team to the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, headquarters in Abuja.
“INEC is an equal opportunities employer. We want to give every Nigerian the opportunity not only to vote, irrespective of circumstances like a physical challenge, but also to participate in the conduct of elections where necessary.
“In Osun State, for the first time, we included corps members who had physical disabilities (as ad-hoc staff for the governorship election) and spoke to the security agencies, political parties, and the communities to protect these corps members. And they (corps members) discharged their duties like every other Nigerian. We were impressed by what we did in Osun and we will involve all corps members, irrespective of their disabilities as Presiding Officers for the (2023) general election,” he said.
Prof Mahmud, who commended the NYSC management for its consistent support for INEC over the years, pledged that the commission will continue to operate within the framework of the existing Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, between the two national agencies, adding that INEC would continue to accord high premium to the security of corps members on election duty.
“We are here to thank you, DG (Director General), and the NYSC for your consistent support. The truth is that INEC cannot conduct elections without the NYSC. I have said it severally and I won’t be tired of saying that our national youth corps members are the most educated, reliable, readily available, patriotic, the largest number of election duty staff in the country and the youngest.
“We have insurance cover in the event of an injury or other emergencies for all corps members involved in election duty. And working with the security agencies, we will also extend protection and security to the youth corps members’ lodges when they deploy to the field on election day. We had unhappy experiences before when some hoodlums raided the corner lodges in some places while the youth corps members were out on election duty. We will continue to do whatever it takes to protect and guarantee the security and welfare of the youth corps members.”
