Rodney Michael Calls Out ECSL And UNDP Over Payment of Polling Staff

Famous football administrator and businessman, Rodney Michael has spoken out on the issue surrounding the payment of polling staff who worked for the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) during the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

In a tweet, Michael voiced his disappointment with the UN and ECSL for failing to remunerate the workers promptly and urged immediate compensation for their efforts.

“This is disgraceful and both the @UNSierraLeone and the @ECsalone should be embarrassed. How can u owe workers for 3 to 4 months without paying them and excusing such inhumane behaviour under the pretext of verification? Workers should be compensated for the delay.” Michael said.

Since June, payments to over 8,000 election workers remain pending. The ECSL attributes this delay to organizational challenges. In August, ECSL unveiled a verification system for these workers, assuring that after this procedure, they would receive a unique “password” on their phones to claim their dues from any Sierra Leone commercial bank.

The commission confirmed on Monday that the verification is now complete. “Our verification covered a significant number of polling staff from all 16 districts. Payment methods are now underway, facilitated by Rokel Sim Korpor. We advise those verified to keep their phones on to receive payment notifications from Rokel Commercial Bank,” they stated.

This update further intensifies the ongoing discourse surrounding the remuneration of these Ad hoc workers.