CONDUCTING CREDIBLE, FREE AND FAIR ELECTION

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 

The various condemnable actions of electoral and election officials are attributed to the mode of recruitment, training remuneration of these officials as earlier stated. In recent time recruitment of electoral officials are based only on interview in the first instance and mostly a further follow up either by politicians or a serving electoral staff just as it is obtainable in other government establishment and some corporate organizations as well. While, many applicants are turned down because of his/her anonymity to those in charge many unqualified applicants are employed because of been well known to the authorities in charge. In the case of election officials here in Nigeria training of election personnel’s precedes their recruitment and only those who attended the training session and qualified for the job are to be recruited but, reverse is the case as many qualified applicants that attended the training session still has to be nominated by politicians to guarantee their employment as some unqualified applicant who do not even attend the training session get employed through  the same process of nomination by politicians. more information

Electoral officials are not adequately trained to acquire relevant skills in discharging major electoral duties until the establishment of The Electoral Institute (TEI) which helps the commission to reduce problems of training its staff. Most electoral officials engaged in acquiring more electoral skills both within and outside the country at their own expense as this is been enjoyed by those in the high hierarchy in the commission. But, the training of election officials does not require any techniques from the commission, as the training sessions are mainly based on election manual which is used in lecturing the intending election officials without a standardized form of assessment or evaluation of any of them. They are characterized with inadequate facilities and unconducive environment in most cases especially at Local Government level.

Both successful and unsuccessful trainees are not given any training allowance or entitlements. Electoral officials are not well remunerated as there no special salary scale for them in terms of hazard, training,  inconveniency allowance, among many others except for an insurance scheme that difficult to accessed but instead they are been paid with the same salary scale as other Federal Government workers. They are even paid lesser than the ad-hoc staff (election official) whenever they are used as election officials in any re-run or by-election. Election officials are also badly remunerated as they are usually paid meagre amount that does not commensurate with the hazards of the job. Apart from this both electoral and election officials cannot make any claim of damage(s) which arises form discharging their duties also there are inadequacies in providing conducive working environment or lack of it in some cases.

In most cases, provisioning for some items like tables, chairs, even entertainment of election officials among many other things are made by the community or the politicians in most cases, and all these usually put election officials at he mercies of the politicians. Issue of insecurity of election officials is also questionable as security agents on election duties lack necessary skills and equipments in adequately securing electoral and election officials as well as their materials in election periods while, security personnel’s even aid and stand by hoodlums and politicians who disrupt elections by violent means. An official whose appointment was influenced by politician will have to payback as the politician been doing the favour to achieve his/her own selfish end. Also, an official who lack requisite skills in discharging his/her duties will have low efficiency at work and will not be able to discharge his/her duties accordingly without acquiring the requisite training and skills. Even the appointment of the Chairman, National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC’s) as well as state Election Management Body’s are all influenced by politicians as they also enjoy jumbo salary packages.

                i.            What are the international standards of training, recruiting and remunerating electoral and election officials?

                  ii.            How do INEC recruit, train and remunerate electoral and election officials?

                iii.            What are the results of these processes?

The objectives should be to identify the following:

a)     To identify the methods of training, recruiting and remunerating electoral officials;

b)    To evaluate this methods and identify the challenges and;

c)     To examine the challenges and the implications on our electoral process.

Recruitment, training and remuneration of electoral officials are essential in the electoral process and for the survival of democracy in any country around the world therefore, these three major factors are to be well managed in other to achieve credible, free and fair elections, and its implications for free, and fair elections are to be critically looked into and addressed because, it is essential for the survival of democracy in any democratic nation around the world.

Nigeria has faced many problems in the electoral process most especially in recent times but, nobody fails to make enquiries into the underlying factors which cause these problems and a means to solve these problems so as to achieve credible, free and fair elections for our democracy to thrive.

The various ways and methods of recruiting, training and remuneration of electoral and election officials as well as its effects on free and fair election in our country. more>>>>