Wale Jagun
Some Ad – Hoc staff of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) have protested the failure of the electoral body to pay them eight months after their participation in the last Local Government elections as electoral officers.
One of the affected participants protested the failure of the Commission to effect their payment on THE IMPACT Chat Platform on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, and this subsequently generated deluge of condemnations from residents of Ikorodu and others on the platform.
Miss Kenny Adelabu protesting the non-payment to THE IMPACT stated:
“I need to call your attention to a very serious lapse in the Ikorodu LASIEC. It’s about 8 months since the last Local Government elections, yet many of the ad hoc staff in Ikorodu Central are yet to be paid. Even after submitting statements of accounts from individuals’ banks as evidences of non-payment.
“We were made to understand that it is the Ikorodu Electoral Officer that has failed to come to Yaba (LASIEC Head Office) to confirm our names. We have called him severally but he kept promising that he will be there but he hasn’t, even up to last week when I called Yaba”, she added.
“Please, we want this medium to air our voices so that the community can know this fact and help investigate where our allowances have been hidden”, she stated.
Tomoras (not real name), another resident of Ikorodu who has also not been paid, while contributing also confirmed the failure of the electoral body to effect the payment of some of the ad hoc staff eight months after the council elections.
“I was with the Electoral Officer today (Wednesday)on same matter and he promised to pay the affected people monthly. So, I will advise you see him again.”
“The excuse was that it was due to some discrepancies detected in the course of payment. According to him, just 25 Adhoc Staff are yet to be paid and they shall be paid”, Tomoras added.
My Agboola Odesanya, who also worked for LASIEC during the 2017 Council elections, alleged that he was short paid by N5000.
“They short paid me by N5000”, he alleged.
Mrs Funke Awoyemi, a Community and Social Media Activist, while reacting to the plea by the Electoral Oficer to pay the outstanding allowances monthly stated:
“Why monthly if I may ask sir? After all, the exercise is for a particular purpose which had been achieved. I expect that payment ought to be effected almost immediately. Eight months running and the electoral officer is promising to pay in trickles”, she queried.
Mr Monday Obadan, while also contributing, stated: “The money is in an interest yielding account of someone … When protests like this accumulate, the funds are withdrawn and paid why the interests go to their pockets…”, he alleged.
When our reporter contacted Mr Fuad Adeboye, the Ikorodu Electoral Officer, on phone, he confirmed the development and pleaded that the state headquarters of the Commission is doing everything to effect the payment.
He directed our reporter to the LASIEC Public Relations Officer for further information regarding the matter.
“It is true that about 25 of our adhoc staff are yet to be paid. We are doing everything to ensure that they get their payment soon.”
Debunking allegations that he is respoinsible for the delay, the Electoral Officer stated, “I have being to the headquarters on many occasions and still planning to go back on same purpose. How could I be responsible for their non-payment when a labour deserves his or her wage? If it is the last thing for me do, I will make sure that they get their payment”, he assured.
“You should understand that I am a public officer and there is little I can say to you. Please, try to contact our Public Relations Officer at Yaba for further clarifications”, he said respectfully.
When contacted,the LASIEC Public Relations Officer also confirmed the development while also stating that the situation is not peculiar to Ikorodu alone.
He pleaded for the understanding of those affected and stated that the commission is doing everything to ensure that they are paid soon.
“It is true that some of our adhoc staff are yet to be paid because of discrepancies. We are doing everything to ensure that the situation is redressed and they get their entitlements soon.
“The situation is not peculiar to Ikorodu. There are others across the state and as I have said, we are working seriously so that they can get their payment.
“Some of these discrepancies that caused the delay are from these staff. You should help in telling them”, he stated.
