Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, said it will grant automatic employment to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who participated in the 2019 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this during presentation of laptops and phones by the European Union (EU) to exceptional corps members who took part in the elections.
Yakubu further said recognition of the hardwork of corps members by INEC and the EU was timely, and added that over the years, the corps members continually put their lives at risk to ensure the peaceful and successful conduct of elections in the country.
He noted that there can be no successful elections in the country without the corps members.
“In addition to what the EU is giving you today, the commission has embarked on the review of the 2019 general elections.
“There are many of you who did very well during the elections. We will identify you and reward those who performed excellently well in the election with automatic employment.
“By doing so, we hope that those of you who have done excellently well will form a group of conscientious election duty staff going on to the next general elections.
“There cannot be any election in Nigeria without the NYSC.
“I have said this before and I will say it again that youth corps members are the most dedicated, the most educated, most patriotic, the most willing, the most able, the most greatly available, and the most committed election duty personnel.
“It is not just about the election, but the entire electoral process.
“You are available for voter education, voter registration and also available on election day,” Yakubu said.
The INEC chairman further said that the same gesture on employment would be extended to corps members who would participate in the conduct of Kogi and Bayesa governorship elections in November.
On his part, Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and Economic Community of West African States, Ketil Karlsen, said 292,000 corps members participated in the general election, and that the elections would not have been possible without their participation.
Karlsen added that the move was a way of expressing gratitude to the corps members for their participation in the elections.