Ad-hoc staff storm Benue INEC office over unpaid allowances

Following the postponement of the general elections scheduled to commemce today, (Saturday), some aggrieved ad-hoc staff posted to Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State, have staged a protest to ask for their transport allowance from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It was gathered that they stormed INEC office at 8:00am to demand for their payment as they were not given transport fare and other allowances before arriving at the location for duty.

Some of them alleged that they slept on corridors and open field over the night as INEC failed in their promise to mobilise them before they travelled.

It was learnt that the protesting ad-hoc staff took to the streets, blocked the entrance to the INEC office and were preparing to burn tyres before the security Joint Task Force for the election arrived the scene.

An INEC staff, who craved anonymity, told newsmen that the protesters refused to provide their identity cards or their permanent voter cards (PVCs) before they could be attended to as it should rightly be done.

But with the intervention of the JTF, the INEC later agreed to pay the ad-hoc staff with any other means of identification aside the two earlier demanded for.