Josh Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the commission’s staff are the least paid in Nigeria.
Amupitan spoke on Tuesday at a press conference and national
stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja
He said the commission had taken “radical steps” to improve
the welfare of its personnel, including removing them from the civil service
salary structure.
“INEC staff is the least paid in Nigeria. So, we felt if we
want to demand and hold our staff responsible, we should give them a living
wage,” he said.
“And that is why we have taken some very radical steps to
ensure that the welfare of INEC staff is prioritised.
Amupitan said INEC have been removed from the civil service
payment structure to allow the commission to operate under a separate electoral
and salary structure.
He noted the move was part of efforts to address gaps
identified within the commission and improve the electoral system.
“We are not called civil servants. What we have learnt under
the civil service payment structure, which we have just removed INEC from, is
to have their own separate structure, electoral structure, and separate salary
structure from the civil service,” Amupitan said.
“So, those are some of the gaps. There are many others that
we have discovered. And we felt that if they address them, it will be able to
solve some of the problems we have with the system.”
On rerun elections, Amupitan said the process is a
constitutional requirement that must be factored into election planning.
“The issue of rerun is a constitutional matter. And as we
are planning for the election, you have to plan for rerun,” he said.
“So, it’s there, the procedure, the protocol, everything is
there in the constitution.”
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