We lost 85 personnel to high blood pressure, heart attack in 2017- INEC boss
The sensitive nature of work at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been having its toll on the lives of its members of staff, as the Commission lost about 85 out of the 16,000 workforce only in 2017.
The officials of INEC who dies had high blood pressure and the attendant heart attacks to blame.
The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu,disclosed the development in Abuja on Wednesday while the defending the 2018 budget estimates of the electoral body before the Senate Committee on INEC.
He was responding to a question from members of the committee led by Senator Suleiman Nazif on why budgetary provisions were made for sick bay at the headquarters of the electoral body in Abuja.
The INEC Chairman lamented that some of the deaths were recorded within the premises of the commission as a result of heart attack triggered by high blood pressure.
He said, ” Due to the nature of our work, our staff work under intense pressure to the point that many of them have no time for routine medical check ups which often lead to high blood pressure and heart attack on some of them while on duty either here in Abuja or at our state offices .
“In fact, last year alone , preponderance of the 85 members of staff that we lost died through such circumstances hours or few days after being rushed to hospitals . The reason why we decided to have sick bays in our offices now is for preventive measures “.
According to him, aside budgetary provisions being made for establishment of sick bays in INEC offices, a total of N9billion has also been set aside in the 2018 budget estimates of the commission for hazard and other allowances for staffers on the field .
He explained that the total budgetary figure of the commission for the 2019 general election was still being complied.
According to him, the exact figure of amount of money the 2019 general elections will cost the commission across the 119,999 polling units in the country can only be arrived at, after the passage of electoral act by the National Assembly.
He said, “It is provisions of the amendment to 2010 electoral act after passage by the National Assembly that will show the commission how elections at primary level by the political parties would be conducted and monetary cost that would entail on the part of INEC , let alone the general elections”.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on INEC has screened additional 8 nominees as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
Those screened and given the clean bill of health on Wednesday were Dr Usman Ajidagba from Kwara State , Baba Yusuf Abba from Borno State, Segun Agbaje from Ekiti State, Yahaya Bello from Nasarawa State and Mohammed Magaji Ibrahim from Gombe State.
Olufemi Samuel, Abuja
