It is with great displeasure that I write this article. However I am so happy that the latest developments in the political circle are clear indications that Nigeria will soon be truly free from mental slavery. When the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), we thought the issues of security, finance and insurance would have taken the centre stage. The schedules for the training of the NYSC members may vary for the 36 states of the federation however security, finance and insurance cannot differ irrespective of states of deployment.

The issue at hand is a serious one as the training exercise conducted by the Lagos State Independent National Electoral Commission was nothing to write home about at Saint George’s Boys’ Primary School, Falomo, Ikoyi where I was trained alongside other corps members. And the same goes for other centres in the states where our transport and welfare were not taken serious. Some of us have spent so much on transport and feeding just to be at the venues for the training hoping to get transport allowances at least. We attended the training at the expense of our respective places of primary assignment on Friday, 7th January. You may wish to know that some state and local governments’ chief executives do not pay some of us who serve in their jurisdictions either as teachers or clerks.

Considering the sensitive nature of the task ahead of the NYSC members, there should have been adequate information from NYSC and INEC as regards the Memorandum of Understanding. When it was announced by Eti-Osa Local Government officials of the NYSC that we were to report at the Lagos Orientation Camp of the NYSC, we thought there was going to be a thorough deliberation among the stakeholders that were present. However, no mention was made on the how much we were to be paid for the training exercise, the voters’ registration and the electoral functions to be performed by corps members. Though little consideration was given to security by the representative of the Lagos State Police Command, no mention was made of training allowance.

The Eti-Osa Resident Electoral Commissioner on Sunday, January 9th called one “Dapo” on phone and the latter gave a negative response on the issue of training allowance. We were made to understand that NYSC has little say on the whole issue of our allowance and we need more clarification on this. The fact that we shall not be voting during the elections should make you give us much attention so that we do not compromise our standards. While many of us are still groaning on the new minimum wage yet to be implemented after the promise by the president, I think we should enjoy every benefit accrued to us based on the INEC-NYSC MoU.

We need to know the amount of money set aside for the security and welfare of each NYSC member. “Charity,” they say, “begins at home.” There should be transparency in INEC and NYSC if there is going to be a credible, free and fair election at all levels this year. We need to know how much INEC will spend on each corps member throughout their period of work for INEC and indeed Nigeria. We look forward to credible, free and fair elections but we have to really work towards it.

In Nasarawa state,instead of giving corpers their transport and feeding allowances,the INEC officials bought minerals and cabin biscuits.Corpers chased them(INEC officials) away on the 1st day-friday,7th jan and they returned with the same mineral and cabin the next day to offer again.

Some corpers have attended the training for 4days and they have not received shishi for all their sacrifices.

INEC said they would use corpers,but in the state capital Lafia,INEC said they wanted 500 corpers out of the almost 1200 corpers,after the 2days training,they brought out list that was not up to 200 meanwhile they brought in so many undergraduates who are indigenes.Who are they kidding.If the 1200 corpers were much,what are they now doing with undergraduates and other adhoc staff when it was explicitly stated that they will use mainly corpers.

I dont know who is deceiving who.Either INEC themselves or Jega's lieutenants who dont want to see him succeed.

People deceiving people once again. I happen to be an adhoc officer, truthfully this whole thing is a scam. Are the undergraduate indigenes better off conducting the registration and election? These indigines are in contact with the politicians of there area and could be used as tools to jeopardize the whole exercise. I laugh in Swahili

Obamaa:

In Nasarawa state,instead of giving corpers their transport and feeding allowances,the INEC officials bought minerals and cabin biscuits.Corpers chased them(INEC officials) away on the 1st day-friday,7th jan and they returned with the same mineral and cabin the next day to offer again.

ROFLMAO!!

@ OP, thank ur stars u r in lagos.
In delta, afta using 4 d last guber elections, inec, nysc or whoever is responsible is yet to pay us the supposed #7,500. I even felt 4 d edo corpers who were not ferried back 2 dia state, let alone being paid.
As 4 d charade now taking place in d name of training, even the inec staff dont know what the heck they telling us.