That was the
mood at the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC secretariat in Benin on Tuesday. Official
activities at the NYSC Secretariat were grounded for hours during a protest
staged by Members of Edo State Professional Freelancers Photographers
Association in collaboration with civil society group in Edo State.
The youths
locked out officers of the directorate and prevented corps members and other
visitors entry into the secretariat.
The
protesters in their large number protested alleged exploitation and marginalization
by officials of NYSC during the just concluded three weeks orientation camp.
The leader
of the protesters, Kingsley Asemota accused the NYSC Coordinator, Lanre Balogun
of collecting the sum of nine thousand naira from each photographer during the
three weeks camp at Okada.
A
development he described as illegal and exploitative.
They
demanded for immediate reversal of the fee payable by photographers at the
camp.
But in a
swift reaction, Lanre Balogun said the fee was legal .
He said he
met the process and wondered the interest of the protesters hence they were not
forced to come to the camp.
He advised
the youths to engage in meaningful ventures instead of embarking on protest
over nothing.
Meanwhile,
the youths called on relevant authorities to quickly intervene to avoid further
protests as photography is their major source of livelihood.
NOSAKHARE
UWADIAE, STV NEWS, BENIN.
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