Poll shift: Protest rocks Benue

Hundreds Hundreds of ad-hoc staff posted to Ushongo local government area of Benue on Saturday morning staged a protest to demand the payment of their transport allowance by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Our correspondent gathered that the ad-hoc staff had besieged INEC’s office in the town as early as 8 am demanding that they be given transport fare as well as other allowances as promised them by the commission.

They lamented that most of them had to sleep in the open and some in the buses throughout the night.

Trouble however, started when their demand was not being attended to causing them to protest.

Eyewitnesses who do not want to be named said the ad-hoc staff took to the streets, blocked the entrance to the INEC office and were preparing grounds to start burning used car tyres before the security Joint Task Force arrived the scene to calm the tension.

Some of the affected ad-hoc staff who spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed disappointment in the whole process and urged INEC to make better arrangements for them before next Saturday’s elections.

Postponement: Ad-hoc Staff Protest Non Payment of Allowance In Benue

A staff of INEC who wanted to remain anonymous said they did not refuse to pay them but had asked the ad-hoc staff to show their identity cards.

At the tme of filing this report, normalcy had been restored as the INEC officials had commenced payment of their allowances.of ad-hoc staff posted to Ushongo local government area of Benue on Saturday morning staged a protest to demand the payment of their transport allowance by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Our correspondent gathered that the ad-hoc staff had besieged INEC’s office in the town as early as 8 am demanding that they be given transport fare as well as other allowances as promised them by the commission.
They lamented that most of them had to sleep in the open and some in the buses throughout the night.
Trouble however, started when their demand was not being attended to causing them to protest.
Eyewitnesses who do not want to be named said the ad-hoc staff took to the streets, blocked the entrance to the INEC office and were preparing grounds to start burning used car tyres before the security Joint Task Force arrived the scene to calm the tension.
Some of the affected ad-hoc staff who spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed disappointment in the whole process and urged INEC to make better arrangements for them before next Saturday’s elections.
Postponement: Ad-hoc Staff Protest Non Payment of Allowance In Benue
A staff of INEC who wanted to remain anonymous said they did not refuse to pay them but had asked the ad-hoc staff to show their identity cards.
At the tme of filing this report, normalcy had been restored as the INEC officials had commenced payment of their allowances.