The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in Zamfara State says it has blacklisted Bakura, Bukkyum, Birinin Magaji, Shinkafi, Maradun and Zurmi Local Government Areas of the State from its activities.
The decision was owing to the banditry activities ravaging the areas.
Speaking with Newsmen in Gusau, the State capital, the State NYSC coordinator, Mr. Mohammed NAmalam Taura lamented that the same insecurity situation forced NYSC to move its orientation camp from Tsafe to Gusau, the State capital.
According to the coordinator, the Corps members in the affected areas have since been withdrawn, saying that no Corps member would be posted to the areas even during 2023 general elections until security of lives and properties improved in the State.
He warned that any Corps member participating in the 2023 general elections in the affected areas without the approval of NYSC was on their own, noting that the Corps management would not be held responsible.
“We cannot deploy any Corps member to the affected areas when we are aware that the lives of the Corps members are not guaranteed,” he said.
The coordinator pointed out that even though it was the responsibility of the security agencies to provide adequate security measures, the Corps management also provides its own security for the protection of the lives of its members.
Reacting to the statement, the State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Sa’idu Babura Ahmad said that there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the INEC and the NYSC managements.
Ahmad explained that the MoU was not signed in the State but at Abuja, the nation’s capital, between the two bodies, pointing out that the State INEC would only follow instructions from the national headquarters of the Commission.
“The Corps members are not permanent staff of INEC but ad hoc workers on contract to assist the commission during any election period.
“Even the INEC does not send its staff to troubled areas because we are security conscious and would not endanger the lives of our workers,” he stated.