Ad-hoc staff threaten to shutdown INEC office over unpaid stipends

CoC Onah

Independent National electoral Commission INEC engaged during the 2023 general elections in Anambra State have threatened to shut down if their stipends are nor paid within the next one week.

The threat followed the continuous silence by INEC to pay the earned allowances to the affected Ad-hoc staff , including Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) who worked for the Commission in 2023 elections, which gulped N305 billion.

TheNewspad reports that the protesters have also vowed to submit a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the State for action.

One of the affected SPOs in the state who spoke with journalists in Awka under the condition of anonymity, said they never expected that INEC would still owe them till this moment.

According to him, considering all the stress, risk, and discomfort they took in the course of doing their job,they thought by now INEC would paid them off.

He alleged that the allowances for the Presidential/National and Houses of Assembly elections are yet to be paid to the SPOs in the State.

“Unfortunately too we don’t even know how much we are expecting from INEC as payment for the jobs, as we were not told the amount to be paid by the Commission.

Another affected ad-hoc staff in the state, who also pleaded anonymity, appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari, to prevail on the INEC officials in the state to pay them their stipends before May 29, 2023 handing over date.

She alsi alleged that some of the steps, consultations and efforts they had made to facilitate payment of their money to top INEC officials did yield no results.

“They refused to listen to our plight. They refused to give us listening ears, let alone showing concern for our plights or how to solve the problem”

When contacted the Anambra state INEC Public Relations Officer Dr.kingley AGU to confirm this claim his phone was not going .

However, a dependable source close to the office of the PRO said Dr Agu, Anambra REC, has gone to church and requested this reporter to call back later in the day.

Meanwhile, all calls put to the State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Agwu did not yield any results as she did take her calls as at the time of filling this report.