Some ad-hoc staff who worked for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during last month’s governorship election in Ondo state have threatened to protest over the non-payment of their allowances.
INEC had deployed 17,000 ad-hoc staff for the exercise, promising to pay each person an allowance of ₦20,000 immediately after the election.
Speaking anonymously in Akure, some of the affected staff expressed frustration, stating they are yet to receive their payments.
A Supervisory Presiding Officer (SPO) lamented: “INEC has not paid us our allowances, and they are not communicating with us. Many of us are affected. It is sad that INEC has failed to fulfil its promise.”
The staff are now calling on INEC to urgently address the issue to avoid further discontent.
“Those attending to us at the commission’s office are refusing to listen to our plight. We are demanding the payment of our allowance, or we storm the INEC office massively starting from this week,” she threatened.
Another ad hoc staff, who served in Akure North said they would stage the protest if they didn’t receive their before Tuesday.
“It’s over two weeks that the election was conducted. They use and dump us. I feel INEC had no reason not to pay us.”
Spokesman for INEC in Ondo State, Dr Temitope Akanmu, said the commission has commenced payment of allowance to the ad hoc staff that participated in the governorship election.
He said many of the Ad hoc staff have problem with their financial institution.
“We have paid the ad hoc staff who worked during the election. But we understand that there are some who have issues with their banks, and we are working with them to resolve whatever problem they might be experiencing.
“So, what we have is just pocket of challenges that is common with banking errors. The few ones who are yet to receive will get them soon i can assure them.
“Even the REC, Oluwatoyin Babalola, is mostly concerned about it, which has to deal with banking errors. She has instructed that it should be fixed,” He said.
