Edo NYSC punishes Corps members for protesting unpaid N77,000 allowance

Edo NYSC punishes Corps members for protesting unpaid N77,000 allowance

Edo State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs. Frances Ben-Ushie, has prolonged the provider yr of over 30 corps contributors with the aid of using ninety days with out pay, SaharaReporters has learned.

The affected corps contributors , who finished their obligatory one- yr provider on March 17, 2025, had been issued a “Notification of Extension of Service” as opposed to their NYSC Discharge Certificates.

Reports imply that the extension serves as a penalty for his or her court cases approximately the non- charge in their N77,000 allowance, which that they’d shared in a WhatsApp group.

Sources discovered that an NYSC respectable to start with created the WhatsApp group, wherein corps contributors voiced their grievances. The group, controlled with the aid of using an nameless administrator beneathneath the title “Group Update on 77k Allowance,” have become a platform for discussions approximately the unpaid stipends.

“We had been now discussing it and pouring out our grievances. After some days, we had been summoned in my view to the Department of State Services (DSS) workplace and the NYSC Secretariat for interrogation afterwards. Nothing passed off on the grounds that then.

“Just final week, at the day of the passing-out parade, I changed into informed I had an extension of provider for exercise my essential human rights thru a WhatsApp dialogue and a few posts titled ‘FG, pay us our 77k allawee (allowance) -33k isn’t always substantial.’ That is all, and earlier than we knew it, an extension of provider awaits us,” stated one of the affected corps contributors .

One of the affected corps contributors changed into issued a question letter on September 6, 2024, for allegedly inciting fellow corps contributors to protest towards the NYSC scheme and the Federal Government.
The letter demanded that the corps member provide an explanation for why extreme disciplinary movement have to now no longer be taken towards him.

Following this, the corps contributors had been in my view summoned for thinking on the Department of State Services (DSS) workplace and the NYSC Secretariat. However, no instantaneously movement changed into taken till they had been later notified of a provider extension.

In next extension letters, the NYSC noted their alleged involvement in on-line incitement to protest because the cause for the decision. The corps contributors had been directed to file to the Head of Community Development and Relief (CD&R) on the NYSC Secretariat to start their prolonged provider period.

The September 6, 2024 letter stated: “Despite repeated warnings and reminders from Management to make use of simplest authorised channels of conversation to air grievances or function on any matter, you’ve got got selected to dismiss this directive, with the aid of using inciting different Corps contributors to interact in protest towards the Scheme and the Federal Government of Nigeria, with admire to Corps contributors ’ allowance. This is unacceptable and could now no longer be tolerated.

“Consequently, you’re hereby asked to provide an explanation for in writing, why extreme disciplinary movement have to now no longer be taken towards you on your involvement on-line , in inciting different Corps contributors to protest, opposite to Schedule 1, Paragraph 11 (iii) on web page 15 and Schedule 2, Paragraph 1 (m) on web page 18 of the NYSC Bye-Laws.

“Your illustration need to attain the undersigned inside 24 hours of receipt of this letter.” However, the provider extension letter, dated March 17, 2025, titled “Notification of Extension of Service,” partially stated:

“I write to tell you that consequent upon your involvement in on-line incitement of different Corps contributors to protest towards the Scheme and the Federal Government, the CDC has encouraged the extension of your provider with the aid of using ninety days, according with agenda 1, Article 11, (iii) on web page 15 and Schedule 2, Article 1 (m) on web page 18 of the NYSC Bye-Laws.

“Accordingly, your Certificate of National Service (CNS), will now no longer be launched till you’ve got got served the specified quantity of days for which your provider has been prolonged .”

“You are to file to the Head of CD&R on the NYSC Secretariat on every occasion you’re geared up to start the extension of provider ,” the letter partially read.