Some personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Fire Service (FFS) and Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) deployed for the August 15 Osun State governorship election are yet to receive their full election duty allowances.
The affected personnel reportedly expressed frustration over the delay, with some saying they worked under difficult conditions during the election without receiving the allowances expected for their assignment.
The development contrasts with the situation involving personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, who reportedly received N120,000 as election duty allowance shortly after the poll. The payment was made in two instalments of N50,000 and N70,000.
The NSCDC deployed 10,210 personnel for the election, including armed officers drawn from commands across the six South-West states, the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Nasarawa, Kogi and Kaduna, among others.
The Nigeria Correctional Service also deployed about 300 personnel, most of them drawn from its Osun State Command. The exact number of personnel deployed by the Immigration Service and Federal Fire Service could not immediately be established, although sources indicated that many of those deployed were drawn from their respective Osun commands.
NSCDC personnel reportedly arrived in Osun on Monday, August 10, ahead of the election. They were subsequently deployed to various local government areas on Thursday, August 13, a day before the poll.
One of the affected NSCDC personnel, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said officers faced difficult welfare conditions during their deployment.
According to the officer, the personnel worked under the supervision of the Deputy Commandant-General, Operations, Philip Ayuba, who coordinated their activities during the election.
The officer said he was deployed to a local government area within the Ile-Ife metropolis after arriving in Osogbo on August 10.
He explained that some personnel initially slept within the premises of a secondary school before they were moved to the NSCDC Osun State Command headquarters.
The officer also said the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, addressed the personnel during their stay and listened to complaints concerning their welfare.
According to him, the officers requested financial assistance for feeding because of the conditions under which they were operating.
He said they subsequently received N30,000 each before being deployed to their respective local government areas.
However, he alleged that no further election duty allowance had been paid since their return from the assignment.
The personnel described the situation as discouraging, particularly given the conditions under which they carried out their duties during the election.
Other personnel from the Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Correctional Service and Nigeria Immigration Service also reportedly confirmed that they were yet to receive their election duty allowances.
At least two personnel from each of the three services reportedly complained about the delayed payment.
NSCDC Explains Delay
Responding to the development, the NSCDC Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, attributed the delay to the verification of the details and names of personnel deployed for the election.
Afolabi explained that the process required the agency to cross-check the information submitted by personnel with the various state commands before payments could be made.
He, however, said disbursement had commenced and that personnel who had already been verified had started receiving their money.
He urged those who were yet to receive their allowances to remain patient, assuring them that every personnel who participated in the election exercise would be paid.
The NSCDC spokesman said the verification process was necessary to ensure that only personnel who actually participated in the election duty received payment.
Other Agencies Yet to Clarify Payment Status
Meanwhile, the Federal Fire Service was yet to provide a detailed official response to the complaints.
The service’s Public Relations Officer, Paul Abraham, said he needed to make enquiries before commenting on the matter.
The Nigeria Correctional Service also did not immediately confirm whether its personnel had been paid.
Its spokesperson, Jane Osuji, said she was not aware of the complaint and directed enquiries to the Osun State Command’s Public Relations Officer, Joel Oyedokun.
Attempts to reach Oyedokun for further clarification were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone were unanswered and he had not responded to messages sent to him.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Nigeria Immigration Service were also unsuccessful.
The service’s Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, could not be reached by phone, while messages sent to him had not received a response as of Wednesday evening.
The delay in payment has renewed concerns over the welfare of security personnel deployed for election duties, particularly those required to travel from other states and remain in the field for several days.
While the NSCDC has assured its personnel that all eligible officers who participated in the Osun governorship election will receive their allowances, affected personnel from other agencies are also awaiting clarification from their respective authorities.
The August 15 governorship election required the deployment of thousands of security personnel across the state to protect voters, electoral officials, election materials and maintain law and order before, during and after the exercise.
