The Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) has announced the categories of ad hoc staff to be recruited for the conduct of the December 12 Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in the state.
The Chairman of KOSIEC, Hon. Mamman Nda Eri who revealed this at a joint meeting of the commission and electoral officers in Lokoja on Thursday, said the ad hoc staff would be civil servants of high reputation and not politicians.
He said the returning officers and supervisors would be officers on Grade Level 12 and above, presiding officers of NCE Certificate and above, while the polling clerks would be holders of achool certificate and above.
The Chairman admonished the electoral officers to avoid bias and be focused while selecting the ad hoc staff, advising them to work hand in hand with the Directors of Local Government (DLGs) who also are non partisan to ensure that credible people were appointed for the job.
He also emphasised that those appointed should be literate, able to write legibly and correctly on collation sheets without mistakes; warning that electoral officers would be held responsible for errors emanating from recording and collation of results.
Hon. Eri commended the electoral officers for the peaceful primaries recorded across the wards and local councils, while still urging them to continue to draw from their wealth of experience to achieve a successful election.
High point of the meeting was the training of electoral officers on electoral matters by officers from Systemtech Electoral Consult Limited, Lokoja.
