Nigeria Content Online

The change had been
swift. From an early apprehension that peaked following the
postponement of the National Assembly polls and its subsequent acclaim
as one of Africa’s best in years, according to foreign observers, the
2011 elections have gained rapidly rising reputation in just weeks.

Now, after two
polls that earned it praise, the exercise, in its final lap, faces the
prospect of losing the bulk of its workforce – the youth corps members
– who have threatened to boycott the governorship and state assembly
elections scheduled for Tuesday following last week’s riots in which
many of them were targeted in some northern states.

For most of last
week, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) played down the possibility of the
withdrawal, and officials sought to de-emphasize its impact on the
local elections.

“The chairman has
said the commission is doing all it can to make sure, if there are
shortfall in manpower, they will be made up for,” said Kayode Idowu, a
spokesperson of the commission on Friday, a day after a televised press
conference where the chairman, Attahiru Jega, displayed similar
optimism.

The electoral body
maintained that besides Kaduna and Bauchi states, where elections have
been moved by two days for security concerns, it does not expect the
exercise to be marred by shortage of personnel in the other states
where there had been violence.

Earlier on
Thursday, Mr Jega himself, said the commission had trained more hands
than needed for the elections and would deploy the extra ad hoc staff
to fill in at locations without sufficient electoral officials. He said
while the commission would be hopeful about the participation of corps
members in the elections for the remaining states on Tuesday,
provisions were however made for alternative personnel.

“Our hope is that
many of them (corps members) will recognize what these people want to
achieve. They want to scuttle the effort that we have made in the past
elections,” he said in condemnation of the violence that followed the
outcome of the presidential election, dismissing reports that members
of the corps had decided to withdraw their services as electoral
officers.

NYSC officials too
have denied corps members were pulling out and said the situation would
be clearer after a tour of the affected states by the director general,
Mahara Tsiga.

As at Friday
evening, the deputy director, Public Affairs, Chinwe Ojukwu, told NEXT
by phone that a position was being expected from Mr Tsiga.

Beneath the public
façade however, officials speaking confidentially, say the speculated
boycott of the exercise by the corps members has spawned mounting
concerns within the leadership of the INEC and the NYSC.

“With what is going
on, we all hope things will be fine, but naturally they may not be the
same again as with the other elections,” a staff of the electoral body
said.

A Kaduna-based
group, the Civil Rights Congress (CRC), also on Friday, said the total
number of deaths has surpassed 200 while the wounded passed 500.

“In Kaduna alone, we have more than 20 deaths,” Shehu Sani, executive director of the group told NEXT by phone.

No specific figures
could be obtained of the actual number of corps members killed or
injured in the crisis, as authorities appear keen on keeping public
passion within control. The NYSC spokesperson said only Mr Tsiga, who
could not be reached Friday, can give the actual numbers, if at all
there was any. Rights groups such as CRC, said it is challenging to
ascertain which victim was a corps member and which was not.

Earlier reports say
four died in Bauchi State, which is one of the worst-hit states. In
Kano State, although deaths of corps members could not be confirmed,
serving members have narrated at least two incidents where rioters
attacked their lodges before they were rescued by armed soldiers.

Officials say there
are worries the impact of the attacks may transcend the northern region
where it originated and may be felt elsewhere, as anxious parents
dissuade their wards from taking a role in the remaining elections.

“Many people have
travelled and don’t plan to come back for the election,” said Nty Ben,
a serving member in Osun State. The state is reportedly calm, yet some
corps members are apprehensive about the final elections expected to be
more passionate and have left on the orders of their parents.

Much-praised youth

Accused of aiding
election rigging by their attackers, and coming after the Suleja
bombing the killed at least 10 of their colleagues, the recent violence
has been particularly hard on the youth corps members who have been
lavishly praised by foreign election observers.

After the
presidential election, the European Union said as electoral officers,
the corps members performed their duties with “courage and to the best
of their capacity.” The Commonwealth said they showed “dedication and
courage that helped deliver a transparent process, often in difficult
conditions. They are a source of pride and hope for Nigeria,” the group
said.

The National
Democratic Institute applauded the corps members for their “dedication
and neutrality” while the International Republican Institute commended
them for their “dedication and hard work.”

Despite the
assurances that all is well, nothing illustrates the electoral body’s
frustration with the development as Mr Jega’s remark that the
commission will understand if the horror-stricken corps members stay
off the exercise.

“Obviously people in that kind of situation should be afraid,” he
said. “If some of them are scared enough to stay away, we will
understand. If they don’t come out, we will understand.” Mr Jega said
while INEC feels their pains and sympathizes with the families
affected; it will “understand should they choose not to participate
again.”