*Corps members threaten boycott in Lagos

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE
EDO State Police Command, weekend, arrested 22 persons at Aiyegunle, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, who were allegedly said to have been hired from Saboginda-Ora in Owan West Local Government Area of the state to register as voters.

Meanwhile, the ongoing voter registration may suffer set back in some parts of Lagos State as National Youth Service Corp, NYSC, members, yesterday,  threaten to boycott the exercise today.

It was learnt, yesterday,  in Lagos that the planned action was to press home their demand for the payment of their allowances.

Last week,  while commenting on the on-going voters’ registration, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, said  in Benin that buses’ load of people suspected to be thugs or hired to beef up the voter’s register were arrested in Owan and handed over to the police.

He added that he had directed the state police command to investigate their motives of coming to Owan Federal Constituency to register when they were not from the area or Edo State.

He appealed to citizens of the state to remain vigilant by ensuring that those who were not from their areas did not register during the exercise.

The 22 persons, all boys in their 20s, have been transferred to the police headquarters in Benin City for further investigation.

It was gathered that  residents at Aiyegunle raised alarm when they saw strange faces queuing at the polling units to register.

The Transition Committee Chairman of Akoko-Edo, Mr. Peter Ologun, told newsmen in a telephone chat that he quickly mobilised policemen to Aiyegunle where the 22 boys were arrested.

Mr. Peter Ologun said some of the buses used in conveying the boys to Aiyegunle escaped. The state police spokesman, Mr Peter Ogboi, could not be reached for comments.

Corps members threaten boycott

In Lagos, a Youth Corps member, Emmanuel Samuel, said at Tomia Primary School, Agbado, Oke-Odo Local Government Council Development Area,  that many of his colleagues had no money to continue with the exercise.

“We have only been paid N10,000 which was for the training we had. They are supposed to pay us N5,600 for feeding and transportation for two weeks but they have not paid us anything till now. So, there is a possibility that we will go on strike on Monday (today) because we cannot continue to work under this condition,” Samuel said.

Janet Eze, a female corps member, told newsmen that they had been surviving on the benevolence of some individuals in the area they work since the exercise commenced.

Contacted, an INEC staff in the Lagos office told newsmen, anonymously, that “he was sure the corps members will not boycott the exercise because they are on national assignment.”

He said they had been paid N10,000 out of a total of N30,000 earmarked for each of them for the exercise, adding that they were informed of the terms and conditions before the registration commenced.