NYSC members

‎
Jethro Ibileke/Benin

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier-Genaral Suleman Kazaure, has appealed to security agencies in Edo State to ensure adequate security  for Corps members serving in the State before, during and after the September 10 gubernatorial election.‎

Kazuare made the appeal during his visits to heads of the various security agencies in the state ahead of the election.

He said the lives of the Corps members are very important to the Scheme and therefore noted that all measures must be taken to safeguard their lives before, during and after the election in the state.

In their various responses, the heads of the security outfits assured the NYSC DG of the safety of the Corps members.

Later while addressing the Corps members at the Uyi Ground Hotel in Benin, the state capital, the NYSC Director-General, charged them to avoid any acts of inducements from politicians while discharging their duty to the nation, stressing that their names and the name of the Scheme must be guarded jealously.

“My children, we are seated here because of the very sensitive assignment that is coming on our way, that is, Edo State gubernatorial election. The scheme started involving ourselves into national elections since 2008, precisely on 29 March, 2008, during Kogi State gubernatorial election and the Corps members did very well, in fact, excellently well and as a result of that we entered into agreement with INEC, we signed an MoU, 29 of November, 2010.

“Gentlemen, during the 2011 Presidential election, the Corps members did excellently well to the extent that the Scheme earned international commendation. So it means that your predecessors did very well. What I am expecting this time around from my children, is something better than that. I want you to perform better than what happened in 2011.

“How are we going to do that? We should know that you are graduates. If you are graduates, you should know that you are found worthy in character and learning . What does that mean? It is not only your intellectual capability that  we are now looking at as graduates. It means you are trust-worthy, you can be the President of this country. So, gentlemen, you are the future leaders of this country.

“You  are our future leaders. In you, we our seeing future NYSC DGs, future President of this country. But gentlemen, we have to respect ourselves as there is no short cut to success. So during our assignment that is coming, please do not allow the politicians to use you. Shun any forms of financial inducement. If you are going to be rich, you will be rich, it is just a matter of time. So do not allow anybody to entice you because you are our future leaders. You will take over from us when we step aside.

“Please, allow a free, fair and credible election. Try and abide by the rules and regulation guiding the election,” he admonished.

Earlier in her speech, the State Coordinator of the Scheme, Mrs. Akyam Altine Japheth, said the Corps members serving in the state were ready to perform their electoral duty to the best of their abilities, noting that they have gone through the necessary training as INEC ad hoc staff.

She said the Corps members have also been informed of the need to be neutral, transparent and patriotic during the exercise, as their integrity and neutrality to a large extent would determine the credibility of the election.