NYSC Cancels August CDS, Biometric Clearance As Protest Fears Mount in Govt 

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has postponed monthly clearance and weekly community development services for corps members across the country, TEAM PLATO REPORTS.

TPR learned that these NYSC activities were postponed ahead of the upcoming #EndBadGovernance protests scheduled to begin on August 1.

This information was disseminated via a memo sent to State Coordinators, Local Government Inspectors (LGIs) and Zonal Inspectors (ZIs across the 36 states of the federation, who in turn relayed the information to corps members across the country.

The memo read:

“In furtherance to our earlier memo reminding corps members of the scheme’s policy prohibiting participation in any form of protest, all corps members are informed that biometric clearance and CDS activities are suspended with immediate effect. The date for the presumption of these activities will be communicated in due course,” read the memo.

“Due to this postponement of all NYSC activities, all corps members are directed not to wear their uniforms for any reason this week.

“During this period, all corps members are assured that they will be attended to in their mufti.

“I wish to reiterate that the scheme promotes unity and will not tolerate any corps member participating in any form of protest that could lead to the breakdown of law and order.”

This was not the first time such a directive was given by the NYSC ahead of the upcoming planned protests.

On Sunday, Yetunde Baderinwa, the NYSC state coordinator for Lagos, ordered corps members serving in the state to adhere to NYSC policy and shun protests. According to the state coordinator, protests are against NYSC’s principles of fostering harmony and cohesion.

She added that corps members found violating the policy will face disciplinary actions per the scheme’s regulations.

NYSC is not the only government agency to discourage its personnel from protests or rejig its schedule ahead of the protest.

Over the weekend, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), acknowledged the hunger in the land but disagreed with those planning the protests, and urged Nigerians to stay away from the streets.

Daily Trust earlier reported that on Monday, three days before the planned nationwide protest over ongoing economic hardship, commuters plying the Keffi-Abuja expressway were stranded after soldiers barricaded the highway at Sani Abacha barracks to conduct a stop-and-search operation on vehicles entering the nation’s capital, causing a gridlock extending as far as Nyanya Bridge, more than 12 kilometres from the checkpoint.