Reps order INEC to pay insurance claims for injured corps members
The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately pay outstanding insurance benefits for Corps members injured or killed during the 2023 general elections.
The committee issued the directive after the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) revealed that insurance claims due to affected Corps members under its MoU with INEC remain unpaid.
Represented at the public hearing on the matter in Abuja Friday, the Director of Welfare, Omotade Ayodele Folorunsho who represented the NYSC DG told lawmakers that three Corps members were shot during the elections, two in Delta and one in Akwa Ibom, resulting in permanent disabilities.
He said NYSC has supported the victims, but the ₦1 million insurance cover from INEC’s insurer is yet to be released.
Folorunsho lamented poor election arrangements that expose Corps members to danger, recalling that 10 Corps members were killed in 2011, a tragedy he helped coordinate burials for. He also decried poor welfare, including low allowances and lack of accommodation.
Following his presentation, committee member Alex Egbona moved a motion, adopted unanimously, directing INEC to compel its insurer to pay all outstanding claims within four weeks.
Committee chairman Adebayo Balogun said Corps members are “indispensable partners” in delivering credible elections but remain vulnerable on the field.
“No election is worth the life of even one young Nigerian,” he said, stressing the need to improve their security, compensation, insurance and working conditions.
Balogun added that the committee is ready to pursue reforms to guarantee better protection for Corps members who form the backbone of election day operations.
