The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has directed its offices across the country to ensure prompt payment of the allowances of the 26,000 ad-hoc staff that would be on election duties during the November 16 governorship election in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
Chairman of the Commission Prof Mahmood Yakubu made this remark on Thursday when he visited the INEC office in Koton Karfe while on his way to attend stakeholders meeting in Lokoja ahead of the elections.
Yakubu urged the electoral officers to ensure that each of 26,000 ad-hoc staff were issued with appointment letters containing a breakdown of their entitlements adding that such letter would among other things give a detailed breakdown of the allowance that each adhoc staff is entitled to and procedure for complain in case there are issues.
The INEC chairman warned that no adhoc staff should go into the elections without knowing exactly what the entitlements were.
He stated that the polling units would be opened for voters at 8am and warned that voters would not have to wait for the election officials on the election day.
He urged electoral officers to monitor the transportation of men and materials as the commission had arrangement with National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) for the purpose of movement of officials and materials.
“I am very happy to be here .This is one of the 21 local government areas where elections will be conducted on the 16 of November.
The success of election depends on a very large extent on the work the staff at the local government levels.
“I am glad that you received the non -sensitive materials three months ago for the elections we can see evidence that they have already organized and batched them .This place is going to serve as the INEC LGA collation center with 11 others.
“I am happy to see the progress you have made. So now you are only waiting for the card readers and the sensitive materials and then you move to the field. Make sure that you keep your eyes on the providers of transportation ,we have an arrangement with NURTW.
“We are committed to opening the polling units at 8 in the morning there should be no excuses, they must open at 8 and i can see from the arrangement you have made, I am confident that you will beat that target. We don’t want Nigerians to wait for us, we want officials of the commission to wait for voters come the election day.
“I hope also that you have made adequate arrangement with the boats to the riverine areas and canoes so that you reach every nook and cranny of the state ,every eligible registered voter must have the opportunity to vote.
“Thank you for talking about how the commission has responded to the welfare of the staff, now the onus is on you to also respond to the welfare of the adhoc staff.
“All the money required for the election has been released to the state and I am happy to hear from you, the EO that you have also received money for the election from the state.
“So we have discharged our obligation by making money available to you ,the state has discharged its obligation by making money available to you, make sure that polls work on the election day.
“We will keep our eyes to ensure that all the adhoc staff are paid fully and promptly for the elections. I want to tell you that for the Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections, each of the 26,000 adhoc staff that will work on election day are going to receive a letter of appointment and that letter will among other things give a detailed breakdown of the allowance that each adhoc staff is entitled to and procedure for complain in case there are issues.
“So no adhoc staff will go into the elections without knowing exactly what the entitlements are”, Prof Mahmood said.
