Don’t shortchange ad-hoc staff, INEC warns electoral officers

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised its electoral officers in Bayelsa state to be transparent in the payment of entitlements to ad hoc staff to be used for the November 16 governorship election.

 Its national commissioner, Prof Okechukwu Ibeanu, gave the advice Wednesday during an interactive session between members of staff, INEC, Bayelsa, and the commission’s chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, in Yenagoa, the state capital.

 He said the commission had put in place modality to prevent situations where engaged ad hoc staff would complain or protest about payment for their services after elections.

 “We have received several complaints, not necessarily Bayelsa, but in several places about ad hoc staff being short changed. We know exactly what each ad hoc staff at every level is entitled to.

“What we have decided to do is that each ad hoc staff will get a letter of appointment, stating the details of the functions, entitlements and a procedure for complain. In that way everybody will know what he or she is entitled to,” he said.

Continuing, he said: “What that means is that Electoral Officers (Eos) and others who have to pay ad hoc staff must be transparent, because they know what they are entitled to.

 “What will be embarrassing is for us to complete the election and hear in the news that ad hoc staff are demonstrating about their pay.”

Also, Ibeanu said the commission was working to avoid discrepancy between the number of registered voters before election and after collation of results.

 “We have tried to find out what the problem is and it seems that it comes from various sources. 

“To solve the problem, the commission has decided that voter registry would be prepared for every collation centre the number of registered voters. It is going to come in the form of a table.” (NAN)

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