The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday stated that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who just passed out from service may still be engaged for the election duties owing to the election training they had undergone.



Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Kayode Idowu, while revealing this on Monday noted that despite not being under the NYSC scheme at the moment, the Commission is contemplating making use of the former corps members.



He explained that NYSC had earlier “kept these people in camps because of the election. But now that there is a shift, there is no basis for you to keep on holding them in camps. Yes, they kept them in camp for INEC because of the election and when the elections are rescheduled, you can’t hold them in camps for six weeks.

“The youth corps members have been trained and are available to take up the job. Those who were trained and have passed out, as many as they are would still be engaged. They have been trained for the job.”



Asked on the consequence of engaging the former corps members since they are no longer under the scheme, he said: “They are the same people who were recently in the NYSC. The only difference is that because of the time of the rescheduling, they are no longer in camp for the NYSC.”



On the meeting with security agencies over the elections, INEC boss spokesperson said it was a routine meeting “that evaluates the environment. Incidentally, this level is not a policy thing; this meeting is operational meeting, which is to plan, of course, for the election.‎”

The electoral commission is expected to use over 800,000 ad-hoc staff as polling officials in the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the governorship and state assembly elections slated for April 11.