The National Youth Service Corps has sanctioned popular artiste, David Adeleke, aka Davido, for violating camp rules during the mandatory three-week orientation camp, Saturday PUNCH has learnt. Top sources in the NYSC told one of our correspondents that for “absconding” from the camp during the orientation camp, the Corps had to “dekit” the artiste, which brought to an end his participation in the 2018 Batch ‘B’ Stream II in Lagos State, where he had been posted.
The source said, “The NYSC was constrained to “dekit” Davido for violating the rules guiding conduct and activities in the camp. As a matter of fact, he absconded because he was away from the camp without permission. That prompted the Corps to issue him a query which was sent from Abuja. So, he is no longer a serving corps member.”
The artiste, our correspondent gathered, violated many of the scheme’s regulations. Other NYSC bylaws violated by Davido include bringing vehicles into the orientation camp; disclosing official information; engaging in private practice; taking part in partisan politics and reporting late for duty.
However, it was also gathered that he may be remobilised for the scheme. While replying to a post on Instagram during the week, the artiste had said that his NYSC programme had been terminated. He later deleted the comment from the post made by a friend.
Meanwhile, Articles 2 and 15 under the Code of Conduct subtitle in the NYSC Bylaws (Revised in 2011) state that every corps member shall not leave orientation camp without the written permission from the state coordinator, and every member shall not bring vehicles or motorcycles into the orientation camp.
The articles, however, stated that any member found guilty of violating these provisions, among other provisions, will be liable to be decamped and sent out of camp.
Section 15 (ii) added, “Any member who brings vehicles or motorcycles to camp shall not be registered, and if already registered, shall be decamped.”
The NYSC Director of Information, Adenike Adeyemi, who told Saturday PUNCH, in a response to an enquiry, that the Corps had communicated with the popular musician over his activities during his service year, however, did not say what punishment had been meted out to him for breaking several bylaws.
Davido’s enrolment for the NYSC had created a stir, as he became the cynosure of all eyes at the Iyana Ipaja, Lagos orientation camp when he arrived for registration in August 2018. He had also posted pictures of himself in the NYSC kit on Instagram, as other corps members in Batch ‘B’ Stream II swarmed him at the camp. Just afterwards, Davido left the camp and began a series of violation of the rules of the service.
Our correspondent observed from his Instagram page that just after a few days in the camp, he travelled to Boston, Massachusetts, as he embarked on a tour of the United States. He thereby violated the Section 2 of the bylaw, which says all corps members must participate in all activities in the camp.
It could not be ascertained if he did not violate the second law, which stated that corps members leaving the orientation camp should get the written permission of the state coordinator. But the Assurance crooner did not stop at Boston, as he also visited Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC, Georgia, Minnesota, London, Sao Tome, Accra, Mayotte, Lebanon, UAE, among others.
Davido, within the period, was also actively involved in the electioneering of his uncle, Ademola Adeleke, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Osun State September 22 election. For weeks, the artiste shuttled between Lagos State, where he was based, and Osun State, where the election held.
But the NYSC law not only prohibited participation in partisan politics, it also said corps members should not leave their place of primary assignments without the permission of their state coordinators. Davido’s manager, Asa Asika, declined comment, saying he does not speak to the press.