The aggrieved Independent National Electoral Commission INEC Ad-hoc staff today staged another peaceful protest, the third in recent time since the I7th of March , 2019 over the purported refusal of payment of their allowances by the Electoral Officer in Oshodi/ Isolo Local Government.
According to one of the spokespersons of the protesters, Nelson Samuel, in a statement, after the first protest by the aggrieved INEC adhoc staff, few of them were paid on Thursday 21st March, 2019 and since then, the Electoral Officer in -charge of Oshodi/ Isolo LGA,, Christopher Omije has become very reluctant in implementing the payment of the allowances of the adhoc staff.
“Some of us, claimed to have spent over #20,000.00 each on visiting the INEC office occasionally at the request of the Electoral Officer Mr. Omije Christopher to get paid but up till now, nothing has happened”, he lamented.
Another protester claimed that for over Two weeks, Omije has been asking them to come for correction of their account numbers which is just a delay tactics to frustrate the yet to be paid INEC adhoc staff.
He said, ” About two weeks ago, the INEC LG boss ask everyone who is yet to be paid to bring their bank statement account which we are sure is an infringement on our fundamental human right since he hadn’t pay us. But majority brought theirs and submitted to Mr. Omije Christopher office but two weeks after, he is yet to implement any payment to our dismay, even we aren’t paid till this morning by 10.30pm when this protest began”.
The statement claimed Omije reportedly said the delay in thr payment of the INEC adhoc staff was due to Central Bank payment to the CBN staff and Senators and that is why they couldn’t pay the INEC adhoc staff.
Meanwhile, have alleged that the INEC LGA officer has threatened to arrest INEC them with DSS, SSS, FSAS and Oshodi Policemen if they dare stage any protest anymore.
The INEC Adhoc staff have called on the Federal Government and Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmud Yakub to intervene in the matter and ensure that their Training allowances, Inconvenience Allowance for the canceled election, Presidential Election Claim and Governorship Election Claim are paid.