The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, has said the commission’s staff are among the least-paid workers in Nigeria.
Amupitan on Tuesday, said INEC staff must be adequately compensated if Nigerians expect them to discharge their responsibilities effectively and be held accountable for their conduct during elections.
“INEC staff is the least paid staff in Nigeria. If we want to demand and hold our staff responsible, we should give them a living wage,” he said.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that efforts had been made to remove the commission from the conventional civil service salary structure.
According to him, the challenges experienced during previous elections were not primarily at the polling-unit level, but emerged significantly during the collation process.
“What gap have I noticed from previous elections? One area I have identified as a major gap is the issue of collation of election results.
“The problem is actually not with voting at polling units,” he said.
He stressed the need for reforms that would strengthen the collation process and improve the credibility and transparency of election results.
