WITHDRAW CORPS MEMBERS FROM TROUBLED STATES, REPS ORDER NYSC

The House of Representatives has called on the authorities of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to cancel forthwith the posting of corps members to states that have security challenges.

It further requested the NYSC to re-post the corps members to relatively safe places until the security challenges were resolved.

The house, which made the call in Abuja on Tuesday at its plenary, also urged the NYSC to post only corps members, who chose to serve in crisis prone areas.

This resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Rep. Peter Edeh (ANPP–Ebonyi), which was adopted by the House when put to vote by the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha.

Leading debate on the merits of the motion, Edeh said that the recent posting of ‘’ Batch B’’ NYSC members to certain areas of the country had caused a lot of concern to the public.

He said the posting had elicited out cry from the affected corps members, as well as Nigerians due to the security challenges in those states.

Edeh said that some corps members lost their lives as a result of insecurity in their places of primary assignment in the past, and that those recently posted to such areas should be re-posted.

He argued that the safety of the NYSC members should be paramount to the government.

According to him, it will be callous to allow innocent children to be posted to places where they don’t know what to do in times of trouble.

“Let us do what is practical, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) says security and welfare should be the primary concern of government. They (corps members) should not be posted to where they are not safe,’’ he said.

Rep. Bitrus Kaze (PDP–Plateau) in his contribution in support of the motion said the motion was in good faith as the  issue concerned human lives.

Rep. Fort Dike (PDP–Anambra) on his part agreed with the mover of the motion that it would be unfair to post corps members to where their safety might not be guaranteed.

Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN–Lagos) said the motion was timely as it concerns the welfare of people, and urged his colleagues to support the motion.

However, since the motion was not opposed, it was subsequently adopted by the House. (NAN)

Vanguard