Following the delayed payment of the new minimum wage and the continued silence of the leadership of the NYSC and the Federal Government over the payment of minimum wage arrears, a group of ex-corpers and serving corpers have vented their dissatisfaction with the President Buhari led Federal Government and vowed action.
News spreading around the internet where the DG of NYSC denied the non-payment of the arrears reason that youths are merely on national service have also generated outrageous reactions.
“The Federal Government must pay the arrears. It is our arrears and that is the law. Is the police on spiritual service ? Are civil servants on global service ? The truth is, everyone is on national service. If civil servants can be paid, youth corpers must be paid too. Even Buhari is on national service” Halima Abudullahi, a 2018 batch B Corper said.
The federal government is not doing us any favor by paying the minimum wage to youth corpers and so naysayers should refrain from using that as an excuse. According to the bye laws of the NYSC, corpers are entitled to the minimum wage and an additional 10%. It is what is in the law. If minimum wage goes up to 50,000 or 100,000 tomorrow, corpers are by law entitled to that. Akinwumi Alabi, a legal practitioner said.
Stella Morris, a 2019 Batch B serving corp member in Abuja condemned the President Buhari administration for trying to close the chapter of minimum wage arrears to corpers. During the administration of President Jonathan, minimum wage arrears were paid to youth corpers including those who had passed out. Is the Buhari administration saying that the Jonathan Administration is better ?
A group of serving corp members are on the brink of leading a protest. According to its leaders who wished to remain anonymous for now, ” we are going to protest the non payment of arrears to corp members by the federal government. We have corp members who are lawyers and are part of this. We understand the legal implications. If the Federal Government refuse to comply, we will see them in court”.
The protest will be nationwide. Youth corpers from every states of the federation will come out on their khaki that day. All the current serving members of the various batches will be involved including members of the 2019 batch B stream 1 and 2, Batch C stream 1 and 2 and the outgoing Batch A.
If they want to expel us, they should be prepared to expel all of us.
The group call on all corpers across the 774 local governments in Nigeria to join in this struggle. ” The federal government of Nigeria will not look at your face if you don’t come out to demand for what’s yours. Victory comes by struggle. All corpers in the various Local governments are encouraged to come out.
We have tried to reach the Minister of Sports and Youths on the matter but the numbers aren’t connecting.
Should corpers go on protest ? What do you think ?
Caleb the Political Animal reports from Abuja. Connect with him on Twitter through this link twitter.com/caleb_onyeabor
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