NYSC threatens to withdraw Corp members from Edo state ahead of polls

The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) has threatened not to release corp members serving in Edo state for the forthcoming governorship election in the state, unless the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guarantees their safety.
The Director-general of NYSC, Brigadier-General Nnamdi Okore-Affia who made the announcement at a news conference in Abuja, said the decision was necessary for the safety of corp members who have being victims of electoral violence.
The Edo state governorship election is scheduled for July 14, 2012.
The decision of the NYSC is coming weeks after the establishment of a distress call centre for the safety of the corp members during compulsory one year national service.
While re-affirming NYSC’s mandate to foster unity through the scheme, the director-general announced that the number of corp members deployed to crisis prone states in the country would be reduced.
A number of serving corp members were attacked and killed during the post-election violence that broke out after the April 2011 general election in the northern part of the country.