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During the 2018 general election I was serving (NYSC) at Imo state so I was opportuned to directly work as an adhoc staff. That was my first time engaging in such a responsibility so I had a lot of first time experiences.
Due to the fact that we were government children(corpers), we were directly enlisted as adhoc staffs for the election, I mean everyone of us were listed and it was left for people not interested to opt out. At first no one was ready to opt out because we were all hunting for money but some of the softhearted people still dropped out during the last phase of the training because the lecturers exposed the real dangers on elections to us. They made it known to us how dangerous it is to conduct election especially the fact that we were to lead the various units in the Local government Area. Yeah, I had one of my crushes opted out because she's the last born of her parents...you know how soft last born are😂.
As the election was approaching, various political parties began to approach us just to be on our good sides which will in turn favour them if all things go well. Sometimes they do call us to an uncompleted building for crooked meetings which we get our pockets swollen up when coming out...you gerrit 👍.
Fastforward to the election day, we were to camp at the polling center a night before the election day and that's the night we'll get our Working Materials.
That day I was supposed to have a nice Hair cut to appear smart & handsome on the election day but I thought of leaving my bears unshaved to appear rugged and fiery🙈
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That night, we got there and were expecting the venue to be an heavily guarded compound but we didn't find a police or a soldier in our midst and the place was situated in a bush. At that moment we became scared because if thugs attack us, we'll be left to fight for ourselves.
All through the night we didn't sleep because of being security alert. At 3:00am, they brought the materials and we all collected for our polling units.
Day break, we moved to our various polling units, I, one guy and lady were Corpers working in one of the biggest polling units in the LGA, hence it was divided into two subs and I was in charge of one with 4 persons(indigenes) working under me.
At 6:00am, we mounted everything and were waiting for kick off. Just some few minutes before the kick off, fight busted out in a close by class room and we didn't failed to run for our lives leaving everything behind because the people fighting were with guns and cutlasses.
We returned back after everywhere was calm and I found out that the people that caused the fight weren't looking to harm us but were looking for a political leader that ran away with their money. OMG!
I strongly believe in prayer for serenity, so I told all the voters to stay calm for us to commit our polling until to God to avoid war. They did and I led the prayer for just five minutes.
Voting kicked off and for sure, trouble makers came out but I was firm on ground not to allow any illegal acts...this doesn't mean I didn't accepted the money offered to me. Hahahah😂.
All the voters on my unit finished voting and it was time to count the polll... that's the moment of sensitivity because if I make a mistake or sides one political party, I'll be dealt with from the other political parties. So I just acted like the boss I am and delivered the polls. The party that won in my unit became so happy and some of them were moved to dash me money.
Time for collation
The day was almost dark and we need to report at the electoral office that day. Busses were brought and they conveyed us to the electoral office passing through bushes without securities.
See eh, we were with sensitive materials and were going to the collation ground, which means that if anything happens to our records or we are being kidnapped, the reports won't get to the office...they know all these and they didn't use security to escort us.😢
We were extremely scared inside the bus because we were experiencing what we usually see in movies.
Luckily for us, we got the electoral office safely. We thought we were just gonna submit everything and moved to our various houses but no way. Network to transmit reports disappeared so it was turned to Manual computing.
The process took us the whole night and we slept outside, in an open field with dews and mosquitoes. Of course, most of us didn't closed our eyes that night.
We left the place 6:00am the next day (Sunday) and when I got home I was supposed to enter my soft bed to sleep but I decided to attend church that day.
Omo! I dozed off countless times during church service.
This is the main reason why I will never accept to do any adhoc work or have any electoral post during elections, that thing is very dangerous. I remember one corper serving in my city was killed in the last presidential election because thugs came to snatch ballot box in his unit stray bullet hit the guy
Honestly ehh! It's very risky. It's just being lucky that we pray for, if not, the outcome can't be predicted.
During that time, one of my guys was kidnapped to the Den of these people and he was forced to manipulate the result at the their house with gun and food on the table
Gun and food? 😂 What kind of threat be that sef
In fact, this coming election, I pray they don't send us to states for our service because I won't even involve in any thing called election. My friend is interested and always praying it happens because of the money she wants to collect.
For me, my life is precious to me 😅😅
You guys really tried even when it was risky at some point but you benefited a lot from it to get a phone.
Lol😂. You're scared already.
Maybe you don't know, that's every Corpers prayer to involve in an election because of the money involved. Although it's very risky but money dey!😂
One thing for sure is that, once you get there, you'll be moved to follow suit because people that are doing it don't have two heads 🤗.
No fall my hand ooo, better join the election when it's time
Hahaha. I can't join oo. I no get mind for that kind thing. Let me just stay on my lane and keep enjoying Hive 😁
My gosh, that must have scared the hell out of you. People fighting with guns, damn!
LOL!
Election here is crazyy and I wonder if it's the same in developed countries.
Wow that election thing no be for the faint hearted o. It's always bloody in all regions and very risky as well. But it pained me sha that I finish service before election
It's always risky and it takes only the hearts that are seriously looking for money to undergo.
You can still apply in this coming election.
You started with words of prayer but still colkegted the money offered to you 😂.
Hahah😂. God was aware of the whole scenario na. I don't wanna loose 😂