Petition to withdraw youth corpers from violent Northern Nigerian States

In concert with the Nigeriavillagesquare, Faith Family is proud to support this petition to withdraw youth corpers from states where they are being murdered in Nigeria.

Here is what we are demanding:

In the short term, we ask that:

a) All youth corpers serving in these volatile states be withdrawn immediately.

b) All youth corpers serving in these volatile states be redeployed to other states of their choosing, or be excused for the rest of the service year.

c) All youth corpers be excused from serving as electoral officers in the upcoming governorship elections as we are not convinced that adequate and confirmed security can be provided for them.

d) The identities of all youth corpers who lost their lives in this violence be made public.

In the longer term, we ask that:

a) Youth corpers be given the choice of the regions in which they should serve. Nobody should be mandated to serve in an area where security of lives and property is not guaranteed.

b) Any community where a corper is posted and harmed in any mob action – specific already pre-identified individuals, groups and/ or institutions be held liable and culpable (for example the local religious and community leaders) for any harm that befalls them both in terms of jail time and financial recompense.

c) In Line with the above, the National Youth Corps system should be revamped to also include a situation where corpers reporting for duty in their various locations are received by law, into their host communities by not only the state governments, but also by traditional and religious leaders who understand and recognize their value to the development of their host communities and hence sign on to ensure that the wellbeing of the corper is guaranteed. This action will go a long way to preempt the possibilities of random and senseless violence during the service year.

d) We also ask that all National Youth Corps Members who have died in this violence and in the future killed in the line of duty should be immortalized in a national memorial in Abuja. The memorial should have a provision to add new victims.