The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has called for an enhanced insurance package and improved remuneration for Corps Members engaged as ad hoc staff during elections.
The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, made the appeal during a courtesy visit by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Nafiu said the call became necessary given current economic realities and the need to prioritise the welfare of Corps Members.
While praising the long-standing collaboration between NYSC and INEC, he stressed the need to review the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two agencies.
“Corps Members remain committed to contributing meaningfully to the democratic development of Nigeria,” he said, noting that both institutions have maintained a strategic and critical relationship over the years.
He added that the current MoU clearly defines the roles of both parties and reaffirmed NYSC’s commitment to supporting credible elections in the country.
Responding, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, represented by the National Commissioner for Electoral Operations, Dr Bala Bila, commended the consistent role played by Corps Members in improving elections.
“The contributions of successive batches of Corps Members to the conduct of elections have been invaluable,” he said.
He assured NYSC of INEC’s continued partnership and disclosed that the current MoU is scheduled for renewal in February 2025.
PIAK