TheCable

The Renewed Hope Agenda Coalition (RHOC) has asked President Bola Tinubu to sack Yusha’u Ahmed, director-general of the National Youth Service Corps, over the abduction of eight corps members in Sokoto state.

The corps members were abducted by gunmen in August while on their way to the orientation camp in Sokoto.

In a petition to Tinubu, Oduma Richard Oduma, RHOC executive director of operations, alleged that it was the gross negligence on the part of Ahmed that led to the kidnap of the corps members.

The group accused the NYSC DG of ignoring the security of lives of corp members.

“More importantly, we have credible intelligence that 13 million Naira was paid as ransom and so much more expended without any receipts by the NYSC officials in the name of ransom yet the Corp members remain in captivity for more than 90 days, this is unfortunate,” the group said.

“Mr President, it is on record that under Brig Gen Yu’shau Ahmed, more Corp members have ended up in the hands of kidnappers and bandits more than any other Director General of the scheme in recent times.

“Nigerians are at loss as to why innocent graduates who are on compulsory national service to their fatherland would be exposed to such risks while the DG and his management travels with armed military personnel across the country using resources meant to protect and care for the welfare of Corp Members.

“This is abuse of privilege and a mockery of the citizens and must not be allowed to continue under your leadership as president.”

The group asked Tinubu to take necessary actions in the interest of the scheme and look for competent people who will prioritize the interest of the people.

The group also demanded the release of the abducted corps members within seven days, adding that failure to ensure their freedom would lead to a mass protest across Nigeria.

“Mr President, the kidnap of Corp members by bandits in Sokoto is a deliberate and direct consequence of negligence on the part of the scheme’s management and there should be consequences,” RHOC said.

“Mr President must come to terms with reality and sack the Director General as well as order an investigation into the bureaucracy of the scheme, those directors who have served beyond a number of years or worked under (2) or more successive DGs should be made to go or be posted out to other directorates.

“Failure which we will mobilize parents, students, CSOs and Nigerians to picket NYSC offices across the country to mobilize Corp Members to down their tools untill their colleagues are released and security further assured.”