Protesting electoral officials dump ballot boxes, result sheets at collation centre

Some ad hoc officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have dumped electoral materials at Girls Model Secondary School, Ubiaja, Esan south-east local government area of Edo state.

The aggrieved officials, comprising presiding officers and assistant presiding officers, complained about poor treatment.

They said apart from not paying their allowances, no provision was made for them to convey the electoral materials to the INEC head office in Benin, the state capital.

According to some of the observers on ground, the officials said they were asked to find a means of moving the materials to Benin.

“The angry polling officers and assistant polling officer complained of not being paid and that the INEC staff also asked them to carry electoral materials on their head to the INEC office,” a PTCIJ observer said.

“The materials consists of ballot papers, results sheets, forms and many others.

“The election materials are currently dumped at the INEC Collation Center in Girls Model Secondary School, Ubiaja.”

After the collation officer addressed them, the aggrieved officials agreed to continue working.

A bus was also provided for them to convey the election materials to the INEC office in Benin.

Earlier, some ad-hoc staff of INEC protested at Okada ward in Ovia north-east local government area of Edo over non-payment of their allowances.

The staff, who were deployed for the governorship election, said they are entitled to N3,000 for feeding and N1,000 for transport.

They also complained about the non-payment of their N4,500 training allowance.

There have been different complaints by the staff deployed for the Edo gubernatorial election.

TheCable had reported how a policeman at one of the checkpoints on Auchi-Igarra road expressed anger over the non-payment of allowances for officers on election duty in the state.

“I am angry that we have not been paid. Other officers who came in from outside Edo have been paid. Other officers on this highway have also not been paid allowances,” the officer had lamented.

Also, a soldier drafted to Akoko-Edo council area of the state, threatened to slap anyone who called on him to settle any dispute.

“If anyone calls me again, I’ll slap the person. I won’t guide you people while I am hungry. I’ll do my best, I don’t know whoever will win this election. So, people should leave me alone,” the soldier, identified as Nasiru, had said.