ABUJA – A former Director, Corps Welfare, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Dr John Abhuere, has allayed fears of attack of corps members during the forthcoming general elections.
Abhuere, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja said that Nigerians were now better informed of their role in the development of the country.
He said although some corps members were victims of election violence in the past, security agencies and relevant stakeholders had equally been enlightened on the need to protect the lives of corps members during elections.
“In the past, some corps members were killed, but the truth of the matter really is that the National Youth Service Corps has been working.
‘’The truth of the matter too is that the country, the populace have come to recognise and appreciate the contributions of youths in election.
“I would think really that security agencies have been educated, the corps members have been given their own tips and even the politicians are aware of the fact that they need to protect the youth around them.
“So, to a reasonable extent, I will say with all confidence that security of the corps members participating in this election is very much guaranteed.’’
Abhuere said the leadership of the NYSC, which had military training, had not rested on its oars to ensure the safety of corps members before, during after the election.
“Don’t forget that the NYSC itself is a para-military organisation, and the leadership is a military officer and they have always liaised with all the security agencies and they are given special instructions to ensure that corps members are taken care (of), so the fear should really be reduced.
“Although it is God that really protects, but I want to believe that having done this for the past years, the country is now conscious of the role corps members can play.
“That we need the corps members to be there in order to give credibility to what is being done, because part of the problem in the past was that people were not educated enough to do the kind of job they were being given.’’
Speaking on the fear that corps members might be compromised by politicians in the course of their duties, Abhuere said they were patriotic Nigerians and would not be party to any fraudulent process.