NYSC Members Protest Forced Deployment To Plateau State

Corps members posted to Plateau State yesterday protested what they called the refusal of the state Coordinator, Mr. Maram Maful, to allow them secure re-deployment to other states of their choice.

At the Zang Commercial Secondary School where the over 1, 750 out of the 2, 040 corps members posted to the state were camped, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig, Gen. Nnamdi. Okere-Affia yesterday had a tough time controlling the corps members.

Gen. Okere-Affia had visited the camp en route to Bauchi when the corps members took advantage of his presence to complain that the directive that they be rede-ployed because of the crisis in the state was not heeded to.

Efforts by the D-G to pacify the corps members provoked more anger as they went ber-serk, saying that they were forced to serve in the state against their wish.

They accused the Coordinator, Mr. Maram Maful, of not heeding the directive to redeploy them.

But the embattled coordinator said that he did not refuse to redeploy willing corps members, that rather, some married and pregnant women who had been paid and duly redeployed refused to leave the camp.

Okere-Affia, while addressing the corps members, said that the directive to redeploy those who are willing to go remained irrevocable.

He, however, advised those who wanted to stay to remain vigilant at all times and try to live in peace with their hosts.

He said, “I have directed that redeployment letters be given at the end of the orientation programme to those who want to go. However, for those that want to stay, we are liaising with the state government to ensure that they are not posted to restive areas.”