A viral broadcast message is circulating on social media platforms with the claim that members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been asked to avoid wearing their khaki uniform.
The message also claims that the weekly Community Development Service (CDS) has been suspended till further notice.
This is coming in the heat of controversies stirred by Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election which was reportedly marred by irregularities.
The message retrieved from WhatsApp partly read, “I am directed to inform all corps members that they should not wear their NYSC uniform nor cap for now. Any uniform that will identify you as a corps members desist from it till further notice. Go with your ID card anywhere you are going. Also, CDS has been suspended till further notice as well.”
The viral broadcast message was also circulated on Telegram.
Over 2,000 corps members were reportedly deployed as ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the 2023 general elections.
The final election results from all the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are still being collated by the Commission as of the time of filing this report.
Claim: NYSC has directed corps members not to wear their khaki, and has suspended CDS till further notice
Verification
The CDD Election War Room checked and found that the claim is false. Henrietta Akpofure, an NYSC official, debunked the viral broadcast message.
When asked about the veracity of the viral circular, she said, “I am directed to inform you to disregard the message.”
The circular released by NYSC FCT Coordinator, read;
“ATTENTION ZIs LGIs AND CDS OFFICERS!!!
I am directed to inform you that you should tell all Corps Members to DISREGARD a circular asking them to stop going for CDS activities and to desist from wearing their NYSC uniforms until further notice.
2. Be informed that the circular didn’t emanate from NYSC.“
Verdict
The viral circular suggesting that corps members have been asked to avoid CDS activities and desist from wearing their khaki uniforms is fake; NYSC has said it did not issue such directive, asking members to disregard the viral broadcast message.