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It is no longer news that staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission have emerged the most comfortable and financially stable in the whole federation. 

As public servants whose remuneration is well known, it calls for serious concerns that most or all management staff and select senior staff of the electoral umpire are living way above their legitimate means. While the most financially frugal among them are using the dividends of their financial windfall to invest in things that would benefit their future generation, by building magnificent edifices in good areas of Owerri and in their respective villages, the hedonistic ones among them are competing with internet fraudsters and other parvenues in Owerri for who would spend the most at club houses and other relaxation spots in the city.

Marveled at the wealthy and sometimes wasteful lifestyle of this set of civil servants and knowing the sensitivity of their jobs to the survival of our democracy, we deployed our special correspondent for an undercover investigation into the secrets behind the sudden  extravagance of this set of public servants. The findings are mind boggling.

INEC salary structure is captured under the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS). Based on the 2010 Minimum Wage of 19,500, the annual earning of a managerial cadre staff of the electoral umpire ranges from 1,285,018 to 1,800,924, while senior staff from grade level 8 to 13 earn from 655,384 per annum. This amount, when further broken down, will come to a little above 55,000 Naira in average for staff on GL 8-13 and about 100,000 Naira for staff on GL 14 and above. While the above salary includes some basic allowances, as captured under the monetization policy introduced by President Olusegun Obasanjo, some ad-hoc allowances that mostly come during election periods are not captured. Could it then be that these INEC staff are maintaining their extravagant lifestyles with those allowances? How much really are these allowances?

These allowances which come once every four years, except on special occasions when there are bye-elections in some constituencies, include, training, feeding and transportation allowances. These allowances are paid according to the GL of each staff and are paid per election. While the figures vary from one staff to the other, investigations show that the most a senior staff may receive as allowances for each election day, including some overtime payment is hardly above 100,000 Naira, while management cadre and directorial cadre staff receive higher, no staff of INEC makes more than One Million Naira, legitimately, in each election year.

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How then, do the staff of the Imo State office of the commission manage to maintain exotic cars and live in big houses? 

Findings reveal that the Imo State governor has, since coming into office on May 29th placed all the management level staff of the commission on salary. According to an inside source in the Commission, the 27 Electoral Officers of the commission in Imo State, receive nothing less than 400,000 Naira monthly, stipend from the governor, while Heads of Departments in the State headquarters of the commission are paid 500,000 Naira, monthly by the Imo State governor. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Francis Ezeonu is said to be receiving Two Million Naira monthly from the State government for personal maintenance. This payment is said to be in appreciation for a job well done during the 2019 general elections, especially, the gubernatorial election where the Commission’s staff went out of their way to ensure the emergence of the current governor.

A source who is privy to the arrangement informed our correspondent that the Electoral Officer for Isiala Mbano, one Mr. Emeka coordinates the payment for all the EOs in the State, while the Head of Department, in charge of political Parties in the Owerri office of the Commission, Mr. Nwakabia coordinates the payment of all HoDs and headquarter staff of the commission.

According to the source who does not know he was speaking to a journalist; “The governor recognizes what we did for him, and unlike most Nigerian politicians is keeping to his own side of the bargain, by paying us handsomely for the job. He pays us monthly stipend, outside other gratis he gives us from time to time. It is also suspected that the governor expects a fresh election to hold in the State, hence, he is leaving nothing to chance in ensuring that he retains our loyalty.”

As mind boggling as these revelations might sound, there are indications that the governor is ready to pay a lot more to these staff, should there be a fresh election in the State. This is without minding how this affects the lean finances of the State and the welfare of public servants in the State and other citizens.

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