Fresh alarm over DDC machines -sabotage suspected

Posted by admin Latest Politics Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

FEARS heightened in Abuja, on Tuesday, over the newly acquired Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines meant for the voter registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that they may have been deliberately sabotaged by certain forces.

Reports at the disposal of the Nigerian Tribune indicate that some of the softwares meant to hasten the task of capturing data in the machines had been slowed down by some experts as a result of their failure to install certain components.

Investigations confirmed that the machines that were made available to INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, for demonstration on the receipt of the DDC machines, actually worked according to projection by registering the 10 fingers within six minutes.

The projection for direct capture of data of a person during the voter registration exercise is calculated at six minutes.

It was gathered that most of the machines that are already in the states cannot register a potential voter in 30 minutes, thus endagenring the entire exercise.

The Federal Government had announced a postponement of the resumption of both private and public primary and secondary schools by two weeks to allow school compounds for use during the two-week exercise.

But sources confirmed that if the slow machines are eventually deployed for the exercise, which kicks off on January 15, INEC would be compelled to seek an extension of time.

“The machines in Abuja can actually register people in six minutes but the experience from the states are worrisome,” a source close to the commission said.

Reports from some of the states also confirmed that during the training exercise conducted for officials who will handle the machines, it was discovered that most of the machines needed between 30 minutes and one hour to complete the registration of a potential voter.

Sources further confirmed that the errors in the machines can still be corrected, if the in-built scanners in the machines are adjusted to work faster.

“There appears to be a sabotage in the process, because the machines that were presented to Professor Jega actually worked to specification. But the story is different in the states,” the source said, adding that no one should lose sight of the fact that some saboteurs could be looking for ways of derailing the job of the electoral commission.

Another source of concern, as gathered from different states, is the failure of the training managers of INEC to conduct the four-day training on the DDC machines. In most of the states, sources confirmed that the four-day training was being collapsed into one day. Many of the officials will therefore, may not be familiar with the machines before they are sent out to the field.

Sources confirmed that the travails of INEC might not be unconnected with the creation of two directorates in charge of training.

A source confirmed that while there is a directorate in charge of training, there is another one in charge of electoral training. The two departments are said to often give conflicting directives on training issues.

But the chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, told the Nigerian Tribune that the slow pace of the DDC machines might not be as a result of sabotage.

He said that some INEC staff handling the new machines could be slow while they were getting familiar with the machines.

“It is quite possible that there are delays when officials are trying to get used to the machines for the first time; it may not necessarily be as a result of sabotage. Our ICT department is in touch with the states,” he explained.

He also said that INEC headquarters gave liberty to the state offices of INEC to programme the training to their convenience, adding that he was not aware of places where training programmes were being collapsed.

Meanwhile, further details emerged on Tuesday as to the reasons the Federal Government decided to close private and public schools for the voter registration exercise.

Sources close to the government said that Professor Jega generated the memo requesting the closure to President Goodluck Jonathan.

A source, who was privy to the development, described the process thus: “The president, knowing that education is on the concurrent legislative list, then called the chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr Bukola Saraki of Kwara State, who called his colleagues to get a consensus. When the Kwara State governor was sure of a good number of states in support of the idea, he called the president to inform him of the decision of his colleagues.

“The president then sent the memo to the Ministry of Education for appropriate implementation.

“There was the decision that schools could reopen and then close on January 15, but it was decided that children should not be put through any form of stress and that they should be allowed to continue their holiday, while appropriate cushions are found along the line.

“Also, there was a suggestion that only public schools should close but the presidency said that would mean that only children of the under privileged would be at home.”

The source further stated that “it was the thinking of INEC that the equipment to be used for registration need to be kept in places where they would be secured by security agencies and that schools would provide ample space.”

-Tribunewp_posts