INEC To Engage Over 17,000 Ad-Hoc Staff In Election Duties In Enugu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will engage over 17,000 ad-hoc staff for duties in the forthcoming general elections in Enugu State.

INEC has fixed February 25 for the Presidential and National Assembly elections as well as March 11 for the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, stated this to newsmen in Enugu on Tuesday.

Chukwu disclosed that currently INEC has 4,145 polling units across 260 political wards in 17 local government areas in Enugu State.

He said that each polling unit would be manned by three or four persons; as follows – Assistant Presiding Officer (APO)-1, APO-2, PO-1 and PO-2 as well as at least a supervisor.

According to him, getting 17,000 PLUS ad-hoc staff is not here.

“This added number of ad-hoc staff, unlike previous elections, is due to the newly created polling units, which must be accommodated and provided for.

“The expansion of the polling units, which led to creation of more polling units, was done by INEC about two years ago.

“It created more polling units with the purpose of making the polling units less numerous and closer (more accessible) to the vast majority of voters in localities in the country.

“However, each of the new polling units is close to the old ones, it was carved out or created from; within the same neighbourhood and local registration area of INEC,” he explained.

INEC opened an online recruitment portal for ad-hoc staff nationwide three months ago.

The commission also conducted screening for those who successfully applied on the online recruitment portal about a fortnight (two weeks) ago in various states, including Enugu State.

It is believed that the commission will use corps members as its major ad-hoc staff; but many other Nigerians have to join the ad-hoc staff to make up the huge numerical ad-hoc staff needed for the general elections.