Niger: INEC ad hoc staff, security personnel resort to self help move materials

Polling officials and security personnel at Chanchaga Primary School Collation Centre in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger, resorted to using their personal vehicles to move voting materials to polling units in the area.

This is due to inadequate means of transportation to convey materials to the voting centres.

A NAN check on Saturday in Chanchaga Primary School, a collation centre in Bosso LGA, revealed that the challenge had delayed the movement of electoral materials, ad hoc staff and security personnel to the 42 polling units in the area.

Mr. Stanley Ibeh, one of the Supervising Presiding Officer (SPO) at the centre, said that the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials started at 5.30 a.m., but for the vehicles to move the personnel and materials to the polling units.

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“We were given two vehicles – a Hiace bus and a Hiace truck – to convey the polling officials, materials and security personnel to the 42 polling units in this area,” he said.

Ibeh said that there was no other challenge encountered in the distribution of materials, except for the inadequate vehicles to move officials and materials.

Malam Mansir Sirajo, a Presiding Officer (PO) at Ndipai polling unit 041, said that he had called a motorcyclist to move materials, ad hoc staff and security personnel to the place.

Some security operatives moved to their duty posts in their personal vehicles.

There are 4,950 polling units in the state, spread across its 25 LGAs with 274 wards.

The Star