HUNDREDS of women yesterday thronged the streets of Benin City, Edo State capital protesting against the killing of members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) members who were on a national assignment during the recent general elections.

Also, Governor Liyel Imoke has expressed absolute support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to set up a 22-man panel of prominent Nigerians to investigate the pre-election violence that rocked Akwa Ibom State and the bedlam that was witnessed in some northern states in the aftermath of the presidential election.

He also wants the full weight of the law to be brought to bear on all those that would be found wanting in the needless loss of innocent lives, especially some corps members, whom he said were ruthlessly murdered in their prime.

Besides, the Nigerian Christian Graduate Fellowship (NCGF) yesterday called on the Federal Government to bring to justice the sponsors and perpetrators of the post-election violence in some Northern states.

The group, which made the call in a statement by its National President, Prof. Vincent Iyawe and National Publicity Secretary, Dan Aigbavboa, condemned in strong terms what it described as “the shedding of the blood of innocent Nigerians especially members of the National Youth Service Corps.”

Meanwhile, a socio-political and pressure group, Etuno Solidarity Forum (ESF) has criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for making a public announcement of the “token compensation of N5 million” to each of the families of the corps members murdered during the post election-violence in the North.
A statement signed by the National Coordinator and Secretary of the association, James Adinini and Moshood Omokide, observed that monetary compensation “was far too small as compensation for the losses incurred by the family members for the upbringing of the victims.”.

The statement said: “Mr. Jonathan ought to have been silent on the amount given to the bereaved families as it was too small.
The forum also called for the review of the NYSC act, which according to them appeared to have lost the purpose for which it was established.
The protesting women made up of women and students, carried placards of different inscriptions, chanting solidarity songs as they marched through the streets of Benin to the House of Assembly Complex. They were received by the principal officers of the House. National Coordinator of the Concerned Mothers, Mrs. Olayide Toyinbo, expressed displeasure over the brutal murder of corps members on national assignment.

“The parents have laboured to get the children to the stage where they could have been helping their parents. They were sent to the North to serve their fatherland. But behold! They slaughtered them, and their mothers are left just like that, naked. They do not even recognise that we are one nation. Enough is enough,”
they said. They advocated that corps members should be allowed to serve in their states of origin or within their geo-political zones to avoid a re-occurrence of the ugly incident in the country, adding that if their position was not feasible, the NYSC should be scrapped.

While advocating that confirmed culprits should be made to face the wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to others that are poised to destroy the unity of the country, he cautioned politicians against continually inciting and making inflammatory statements concerning the condemnable acts.

He added that such utterances would inflame rather than soothe the hearts of the bereaved families and the victims.

He regretted that the loss of the corps members, who were involved in the conduct of the elections as part of nation building was monumental for their families, sponsors and indeed the country in view of their invaluable relevance to the manpower needs of the economy.

Imoke chided those he referred to as lacking in democratic finesse for resorting to the burning of business premises, private homes, places of worship and utter disrespect for all forms of authority including revered traditional institution over their undoing in a democratic contest.

He stressed that no responsible government would sit by and watch those constitutionally put under its care being mowed down and harassed all in a bid to further the personal ambition of few individuals.

The governor, who was the South-South coordinator of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation enjoined aggrieved politicians, who lost the elections to seek redress through constitutional means, rather than resort to violence.

He also praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its ability to conduct the elections.

-Guardian

Posted by admin on May 12 2011. Filed under Cross River, Edo, Headlines, NYSC (National Youth Service Corp), State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry