Following the difficulties faced by members of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) on the eve of the now postponed presidential elections, the administration of the service has urged members to shun plans of boycotting the elections.
You would recall that the presidential election which was initially slated for Saturday, February 16, 2019, was moved to Saturday, February 23, 2019.
The appeal was made by the NYSC Coordinator in Enugu State, Alhaji Ahmed Ikaka, in Enugu on Monday, February 18, 2019, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Ikaka also noted that boycotting the elections would only have negative effects on the exercise in the state.
As previously reported, over 10, 000 ad hoc staff members were drawn from the corps service, making plans to boycott the election potentially crippling.
Ikaka said, “Some of them who were posted to Igboeze Local Government Area of the state said they went through difficulties and even had to sleep in the farms.
“Others who were posted to Awgu Local Government Area of the state said they were already sleeping in a pavilion in an open field when the chairman of the area, Mr Stanley Okeke intervened.
“The council hall was later opened for us to sleep; we do not wish to continue in this election due to what we are already going through,’’ they said.
“The truth of the matter is that people must feel uncomfortable if their quest to get things right is anything to by.
“We are reaching out to them and encouraging them not to be deterred. They know the importance of this election because it is about their future,” he said.
According to the Coordinator, the Federal Government had spent a lot of resources in mobilizing them for the exercise, as such, sacrifices needed to be made by not only them but by every Nigerian.
“What about those saying they will not vote again due to the postponement, we have had elections postponed in the past in this country.
“It is better to delay and get it right than to rush and get it wrong,” he said.
He, however, urged them to remain calm and prepare themselves for the exercise.
As earlier reported by NAN, some corp members had threatened to pull out of the exercise over their experiences last weekend.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some corps members who were mobilised for the election threatened to pull out of the exercise due to their experiences in the field.
