INEC ad-hoc staff protest non-payment of allowances
Borno spends N30bn on job creation
bout 30 people recruited by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the elections in Cross River State yesterday protested nonpayment of their allowances.
The ad-hoc staff, who carried placards with various inscriptions, urged president- The Borno State government has spent N30 billion on procurement of modern agricultural equipment aimed at creating jobs.
Governor Kashim Shettima said this while inspecting the Green House Seedlings Multiplication Centre (GHSMC) established in Maiduguri.
He said over 100 seeds multiplication centres which employ elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to intervene in the matter.
Speaking on their behalf, one Ugim Ugim from Biase Local Government Area, said they have complained to INEC officials on the matter several times, yet nothing has been done.
“We were told that our account details were not correct, so we corrected and submitted them, yet our money has not been paid”, sprinkler irrigation system will be established across the 27 local government areas of the state, as soon as peace returns.
“Unemployment among our youths is a time bomb, which if not tackled within the shortest possible time will explode and have devastating effect on the society. We are investing this huge amount in the agricultural sector, as it is the main employer of labour in Borno,” he said.
Addressing newsmen, INEC Head of Operations in the state, Mr Chris Okereke, said the commission paid the money into the designated banks, but that the affected persons could not be paid because the details they supplied were either inadequate or incorrect.
“We have asked the protesters to carefully provide their bank Shettima said.
The governor said the state government has also procured over 1, 000 tractors, 25 combined harvesters and other modern agricultural implements.
Earlier, Chairman, Borno State Agricultural Transformation Team (BATT), Alahji Ibrahim Ali, said each Green House will consist of 19 beds capable of raising 2.5 million seedlings of tomatoes, pepper and details, since our payment is online. The bank had to return the money we deposited because they could not pay to unidentified persons,” he said.
He said the payment was for the presidential election and that was no problem with subsequent elections as many ad-hoc staff gave accurate bank details. He assured that the problem would be sorted out before the end of the week. other vegetables within two weeks.
“This agricultural project is one of the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa and we have to train our staff properly before fully engaging them to assist our foreign technical partners from Asian countries,” Ali said.
He said the state government will also establish multi crop processing plants in the state in order to minimize waste which occurs as a result of poor preservation.