INEC loses N3.8b to allowances

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may have lost about N3.8billion to the postponement of the National Assembly elections, it was learnt yesterday.

The commission may have to source for funds to make up for the ‘sudden’ loss.

The said amount was allocated for payment of stipends to all categories of staff and ad hoc staff involved in the conduct of the ill-fated elections.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “This postponement is at a huge cost to the nation because INEC has virtually lost about N3.8billion. Nobody is happy within the commission over this huge loss. This means much to a nation with much poverty around.

“Whether the elections were held or not, INEC owes the staff engaged the obligation to pay them these stipends because they reported for duties as scheduled but there were no materials to work with.

“The commission has to look for funds or draw from its statutory allocations to cater for election staff.

“The alternative is to go cap in hand again to the National Assembly or look for donor agencies, like the United Nations Development Programme, to come to INEC’s rescue.

“But the National Assembly might not accede to any fresh request in the light of the fact that INEC had initially got approval to spend over N9billion as stipends for election staff in the 2010 Budget. This was, however, jacked up in a Supplementary Appropriation to over N12billion.

According to a document made available to our correspondent, over N12billion was budgeted as stipends for the conduct of the general elections.

Of the cash, the National Assembly’s election was to cost N3.8 billion.

The breakdown of the loss is as follows: 109 Senatorial District Returning Officers at N35,000 per head; 360 Federal Constituency Returning Officers at N30,000 per person; 774 Electoral Officers @ N25,000 per head; 9,000 Supervising Presiding Officers at N25,000 each, 11,973 Ward Collation Officers at N25,000 each; 119,973 Presiding Officers at N9,000 per head; and 261,673 Assistant Presiding Officers at 9,000 each.

A source in INEC, said: “Our concern now is how to conduct the poll on Monday. No one is happy with the situation at hand.

“If the elections are successfully conducted, the Federal Government will also be willing to bail out the commission. We do not want to disappoint the nation again.”