As of 2am on Sunday after the presidential and National Assembly elections had been concluded on Saturday, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who served as ad hoc staff were still littered around the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation office in Amawbia, Anambra State.
Most of them were not done with returning election materials and filling forms given to them, while others were seen sleeping in the open space because it was too late to leave.
Andrew omige, a corps member who was seen at the INEC collation office in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area (LGA) in Anambra State, at 4am on Sunday, lamented the poor working conditions and unpreparedness of the commission in the state for the elections.
Speaking on how they were treated, he said: “Our materials were not working well and some of us didn't know how to fill forms, and were not taught how to do so properly. So, we are here doing so.”
Another corps member, Sandra Iwuoha, said she was still there at the time because her supervising presiding officer refused to attend to them.
She noted that she hadn't had her bath since Saturday, February 23, 2019, because there was no provision for accommodation. She also narrated how they had to sleep on the bare ground at Igwebuike Grammar School where she served as an ad hoc staff member.
When asked about the training allowance paid, she and another corps member confirmed that they were only paid N3,000 as transport fare ahead of the February 16 election, which was later rescheduled. Nothing else was given to them.
She said the only compensation for the stress is for INEC to pay them more than it said it would.
***