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Over one thousand trained collation/returning officers, this Saturday morning stormed the office of the Imo state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, lamenting that their names have been removed.

Trained collation/returning officers stormed the office of the Imo state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Some of them who spoke to newsmen at INEC, office along Portharcourt road in Owerri, alleged that INEC, was using only names of those from the Federal University of Technology, FUTO, Owerri.

However, the Imo state INEC, Public Relation Officer, PRO, Emmanuella Opara, has denied the allegation adding that those selected will get text messages. One of the protesters, Micheal Emecheta, said that they were told to come on Friday to INEC, and that the locations where they were posted would be be made available to them. But that that INEC, has refused to address them or give them any information that would be helpful as regards their area of duty.



Emecheta said: “We were trained and we were told to come to the INEC, office and get the details of our posting. “We were here yesterday and nobody briefed us. We have the information the INEC, only staff of the Federal University of Technology, FUTO, were selected. What am asking are we not staff of federal institutions.

“They can’t be treating us like this. We were trained as collation/returning officers and by now were suppose to be at the collation centers. You remember that we have restrictions of movement so when are we going to be at the center.”



Responding, INEC PRO, Opara, said: Those who will be choosen will get text messages. So their is no need for them to be there. They are not stranded the will get text messages if the are choosen. Why are they worried collation is in the evening.”