The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters on Friday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately pay the insurance premium due to Corps members who were injured or killed while serving as ad-hoc staff during elections.

The directive followed a presentation by the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), delivered by the Director of Welfare, Omotade Ayodele Folorunsho, who disclosed that insurance claims for Corps members injured in the 2023 general elections remain unpaid.

He revealed that two Corps members were shot in Ukwani, Delta State, and one in Akwa Ibom, leaving all three permanently disabled.

Folorunsho explained that while the NYSC has handled some aspects of their insurance and medical care, the N1 million due under the Memorandum of Understanding with INEC has not been redeemed.

He lamented recurring poor arrangements during elections, which he said exposed Corps members to grave risks.

Visibly emotional, he recalled the 2011 elections, where 10 Corps members were killed, a tragedy for which he personally oversaw burial arrangements.

He further highlighted the poor remuneration and welfare conditions Corps members face during elections, noting that they earn N4,000 for three to five days of training and N13,500 for election duty, often without proper accommodation or basic amenities.

He suggested that the deployment of Corps members for election duties be supervised by the Office of the National Security Adviser, given its role in the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security.

Following his presentation, a committee member, Alex Egbona, moved a motion?unanimously adopted?directing INEC to compel its insurance provider to pay the affected Corps members within four weeks.

Committee Chairman, Adebayo Balogun, stressed that the NYSC remains a critical partner in safeguarding the integrity and credibility of Nigeria?s electoral process.

He said, ?For decades, Corps members have formed the backbone of election day operations, manning polling units across the federation as ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They carry the burden of ensuring that the voting process is transparent, orderly, and credible.

?However, we cannot ignore the realities they face. Elections in Nigeria are won or lost at the polling units, and because of this, our Corps Members often find themselves exposed to dangers they should never have to confront.

?Reports abound of intimidation, harassment, threats, and attempts at financial inducement. In some tragic instances, these young citizens have been attacked, injured, or even killed in the line of duty, not because they did anything wrong, but because desperate political interests saw them as obstacles to manipulation.

?This is unacceptable. No election is worth the life of even one young Nigerian. The security, welfare, and dignity of Corps Members must not be negotiable.

?We must collectively interrogate the conditions under which Corps Members participate in elections. We must re-examine their security, their compensation, their training, their insurance coverage, their logistical support, and their overall well-being. We must ensure that every Corps Member deployed for election duty returns safely to their families and continues their service to the nation without fear.

?Let me emphasize that the political class and the Nigerian public must pay attention to the welfare of these Corps Members. Too often, national discourse is fixated on questions such as who appoints the INEC Chairman or how leadership positions are allocated.

?While these debates are legitimate, they miss the central point; elections are not decided in Abuja. They are not decided in the political party headquarters. They are decided at the polling units, and the young men and women who stand at those polling units deserve our utmost protection and respect. We can strengthen our democracy by strengthening the people who administer it at the grassroots.?

The committee is ready to champion any legislative or policy interventions that will guarantee their safety, improve their working conditions, and acknowledge the patriotic service they render to our democracy.

Balogun said the strength of our democracy rests on the shoulders of young Nigerians who stand at the polling units with courage and integrity. We owe them more than appreciation; we owe them protection, dignity, and a system that values their sacrifice. (The Nation)

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