Corps members forced to sleep in the cold
While you were probably in the comfort of your home awaiting the
verdict of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the
general election, corps members deployed as ad hoc staff were abandoned
to their fate in various parts of the country. While some managed to
sleep on benches, others were “packed like sardines” on bare floor.
The corp members, numbering hundreds of thousands, were deployed to
each of the 36 states for the presidential election initially scheduled
for Saturday, as well as the other polls. Like has always been the
tradition, they were to assist official staff of INEC in election
activities, usually acting in supervisory roles in the various polling
units.
But while INEC held a meeting that lasted well over five hours to
decide on the way forward regarding the elections, members of the
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployed as ad hoc staff were
unattended to in some parts of the country, forcing them to find solace
wherever they could: in cars, benches and even open fields.
Many were in open spaces
LACK OF PROPER ACCOMMODATION, COLD, HUNGER — ALL IN THE DARK
Checks by TheCable across the country revealed that a good number
of the corps members were not given accommodation where they will all
stay before commencement of their duties the next day (Saturday). A good
number of the offices they reported to also did not have lights,
forcing them to staying the dark.
In Lagos, for instance, corps members who spoke to TheCable said
some of them were at the INEC office in the local government as early as
6pm.
“Some of us even came earlier than 6; we were there till rumours about the postponement started filtering,” a corps member deployed to Etiose 3 LGA in Lagos Island and who gave his name as Michael told TheCable. “Till
I left some minutes ago (at about 4am), there was no sign of any INEC
official at the office. Some people even left in anger.”
The situation is not any better in Ankpa, Kogi state. Corps members
had to manage a canopy provided outside the INEC office as their
accommodation, while grappling with cold and mosquito bites.
A corp member deployed to the area told TheCable “people are
furious” and that most of them did not come with adequate clothing to
keep cold away. “The worst part is no INEC official is around to address
us,” he said, declining to give his name.
In Ogun, the situation is even more pathetic. A Twitter user by the
name Adedoyin shared pictures of the corps members in the state,
sleeping in an open field, beside buses.
AT WHAT COST?
This might give you some headache: each of the corps members on
election duties are to be paid N35,000 as duty allowance, according to
the NYSC management; for the cold and mosquito bites; the frustration
and danger they are exposed to; and transport fare as some of them came
from far places.
It is not clear why things turned out the way they did but INEC had
repeatedly said adequate arrangements have been made for the welfare of
those that would be involved in election duty, corps members inclusive.
In fact, in its N143 billion budget for the elections, N22.6
billion was budgeted for “election administration including payment of
insurance of properties, insurance of officials involved in the
electoral process including ad hoc staff, procurement of items,
stationery, among others”.
Some slept in buses
HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF?
The welfare of corps members has always been an issue of serious
concern in Nigeria’s elections. In some cases, they are caught up in
situations where either adequate security is not made for them or proper
accommodation given to them. This usually leaves them at the mercy of
hoodlums and bandits.
In 2016, a corps member, Okonta Samuel, was killed during the
Rivers rerun election in Ahoada west local government area of the state.
Back in 2011, about 10 youths partaking in the NYSC and serving as INEC
ad hoc staff also reportedly lost their lives to violence.
OUTRAGE, ANGER
Nigerians have taken to social media to condemn the act, while
calling on INEC to put necessary measures in place to ensure the welfare
of the corps members involved in election duty. It is a tale of outrage
and anger.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, INEC spokesman, was yet to TheCable’s enquiry when this report was filed.
Others managed very tight spaces
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