The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, has warned ad-hoc staff against multilation of results and over voting saying anyone found responsible will be summon and handed over to the police.
The Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner Prof Gabriel Yomere gave the warning at the training meeting with the ad-hoc staff today in Calabar.
Prof, Yomere who tagged the training ‘Refreshing your memory’ INEC in Cross River has taken a decision that if we hear over voting which of course, with the BVAS there should not be any over voting.
“If that happens whoever is responsible for it must be in the position to explain to the commission what gives rise and how it takes place and why the increase.
According to him, “In the last elections there were over voting, and multilation, councellation and painted figures.
“The question that concerned us and why we are talking to you is the fact that when we are doing entering it is agreed that we are subject to error.
“Why all the painting? We did not employ you to be a painter. We employ you to enter figures neatly. That is why the commission insist that the people who are going to do this work must be people of high intelligent.
“I want to let us realize that multilation and entering the wrong figure by Commission or omission is a criminal offense.
“If we summon you and you are unable to explain it to our satisfaction we will hand you over to the police.
He continued, “We will not stop at that but we will without any consideration write to your employer why we are dissatisfied with your reasons for what you have done.
“The commission attach so much importance to your position which is to help the commission achieve its role of conducting credible, free, fair and transparent elections. The REC reiterated.”
“As collation and returning officers your basic function is simple mathematics of tabulations. You are going to receive results from the pooling units where ballot papers are cast.
“I have come to advise you not to do anything that would twart your image because you have a future before you and let your conscience guide you on what to do and do the right thing.