AFTERMATH OF NYSC'S PARTICIPATION IN VOTER REGISTRATION

The voters' registration exercise has come and gone. On Monday, 17th January 2011, NYSC was the talk of the town pertaining to the voters' registration exercise which recorded initial hitches.

The way too much reference was made to the NYSC, one will assume that it is statutorily saddled with the responsibility of the smooth conduct of the registration exercise as all the lapses were reported to be those of the corps members. Embarrassingly, a National Commissioner at INEC was quoted as being one of those blaming the NYSC for its (INEC) failure.

At some point, this outcry came to reaffirm the fears of some people that the present consummation between the two organizations (INEC and NYSC) was capable of giving the NYSC a major blow as a successful government agency as Nigerians have a penchant for complaining about almost everything.

Eventually, the machines started picking, the registration started moving faster and people becoming registered by the day. At that point, attention was shifted to Boko Haram and Atiku. Behold, neither INEC nor NYSC was commended for at least, surmounting the earlier problems. At the end, over 63 million Nigerian eligible voters have been registered.

Two days to the end of the registration exercise, I saw on my facebook wall, the NYSC DG, Brig. - Gen. M I TSiga, posting on his own facebook page, a congratulatory message to all his staff and corps members. It was the heading that caught my attention. It reads 'NYSC congratulates self on voters registration'. The Director-General was commending the performance of his staff and corps members for the success of the exercise despite what he described as 'harsh conditions' and this is the kernel of this write-up.

A colleague once told me why the lizard, after jumping from the fence, will continue to nod its head. He said it is in appreciation of the great work it has done by jumping from the fence telling other animals 'Una no see wetin i do'? in other words, what the wise colleague was getting across to me was that the world is so wicked today that nobody sees a good work done by another fellow until the fellow acknowledges it himself. That one will have to start singing his praises before others will join him.

No wonder, the NYSC DG was, like the proverbial lizard, commending the dedication of his staff and corps members in the voters registration exercise.

• Harris writes from EFAB Estate, Apo, Abuja.