By Emeka Samuel
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has said it would require more than 19,000 adhoc staff for the conduct of the 2019 elections in Akwa Ibom, State Resident in Electoral Commissioner, REC Mr Mike Igini has said.
Igini who made this known to newsmen in Uyo over the weekend stated that while the National elections would require 19,028 ad hoc staff, 19,043 would be required for the state elections comprising of the governorship and state assembly elections.
The REC explained that at least 8,000,ad hoc staff would be sourced from the members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC while the rest would be provided by university lecturers and undergraduates, staff of federal establishments and ex corp members who served from 2015.
He expressed regret over the impact of the current ASUU strike on the elections but expressed confidence that the commission would be able to mobilize and train enough undergraduates who are also expected to get the endorsement of their schools.
Igini who blamed politicians for successive failures of elections in Nigeria added that INEC in the state have continued to interact with relevant stakeholders including political parties and transporters on ways to ensure efficient logistics and success of the elections in the state.
He explained that 1.7 million Permanent Voters Card. PVCs have been collected by their owners with only 286,928 yet to be collected even as arrangements have been concluded to get the ones yet to be collected to their owners before the elections.
The REC added that PVCs that were stolen in Okobo local council of the state last year would be reproduced and delivered to their owners very soon by the commission and assured that arrangements were in place to eliminate rigging and other electoral illegalities by political parties.
Dubious staff of the commission he said would be laid off or would not be allowed to be involved in the electoral process and assured that the commission would make votes of voters count and justify tax payers money been spent on the elections.
“My assurances are that original result forms will be delivered to polling units in accordance with the electoral law and that the votes of Nigerians will count to justify the huge fund been spent on the conduct of the elections.” Igini said.
