The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Monday said it had not extended the service year of outgoing corps members listed to participate in the rescheduled general elections.
The NYSC Director of Press, Mrs Bose Aderibigbe, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
She said that contrary to insinuations, the outgoing corps members would participate in the elections as ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Aderibigbe said their completion of the national service would not affect their participation in the elections, stressing that INEC had already trained them for the exercise.
She said the NYSC did not make provisions for their welfare beyond 12 months, stressing that keeping them till the election date in March would exceed its budget.
“They have finished as corps members; that is why we are passing them out. If they stay till March it means government will be paying their money.
“They are only entitled to 12 months pay from NYSC, so as soon as they pass out they get their certificates and they go.
“They may stay back and participate in the elections because they have been trained to do it not as corps members but as ad hoc staff of INEC”, she said.
Aderibigbe said that the welfare of the outgoing corps members, who have been scheduled to participate in the elections, would be taken care of by the electoral commission.
According to the director, INEC has promised to pay them their entitlements, including transport and feeding allowances.
She explained that INEC would pay them a percentage before the elections and the balance would be paid afterwards.
The director called on the affected persons not to entertain fear as their entitlements would be given to them at the appropriate time.
On the safety of corps members participating in the elections, Aderibigbe said the NYSC management had constituted a security committee to guarantee the safety and security of participating corps members.
According to her, the Director-General and other staff of NYSC have gone across the country to sensitise corps members participating in the elections.