#NigeriaDecides: How NYSC members reacted to postponement of polls

Some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in Kogi State, on Saturday expressed displeasure over the ‘late hour’ postponement of elections’ dates by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

DAILY POST had reported that INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, while addressing reporters at the press centre of the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the nation’s capital, said that the polls would not go on as planned due to some challenges encountered by the commission.

He explained that the decision to postpone the polls followed a careful review of the implementation of the logistics and operational plans put in place for the exercise.

Some of the corps members, who served as INEC Ad-hoc staff, spoke to NAN in separate interviews in Kabba that they were disappointed.
Chika Ezeogu, a corps member, who was assigned to a Polling Unit in a remote village in Kabba/Bunu LGA, told NAN that the postponement came very late and few hours to the election.
“We had already received elections’ materials and proceeded to our various wards.

“We were very surprised when we received information on the postponement. It was not really good after going through a lot of stress,’’ Ezeogu said.
A male corps member, who spoke to NAN on conditions of anonymity, said he was shocked about the news as he never expected such to happen few hours to election.
He urged the INEC and the Federal Government to ensure effective planning in the future.

Another male corps member, who also spoke on conditions of anonymity, said that he had arranged the election materials at the polling unit when they received a message on the postponement.
“My polling unit is in a remote village with poor network, and we couldn’t access network until after 7 a.m.
“We had already arranged election materials waiting for 8 a.m to begin accreditation and voting, when we suddenly received the message.

“We have pledged our loyalty to Nigeria to serve our motherland and we don’t have a choice,’’ he said.
Another corps member said: “I am just advising our leaders to be proactive in whatsoever they do to avoid a reoccurrence of such.”
Meanwhile, the Assistant Director, Public Relations, NYSC, Mr Adedapo Tayo, commended the corps members for their resilience, cool headedness, which were great virtues that would pave way for them in future.

Tayo, who is the NYSC Monitoring Officer for 2019 elections in Kabba, Mopamuro, Yagba East, and West LGAs, commended the corps members’ commitment to the service of their motherland.
“The corps members were trained and sensitised to how to conduct themselves during the elections.
“They accepted the postponement when it came, and went back to their various posts.

“So, we praise the DG NYSC, for the intensive sensitisation of corps members, to ensure they conduct themselves well,’’ Tayo said.

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