Lagos short of 5,000 DDC machines, as INEC begins roadshow

Posted by admin Lagos, State News Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

Dep Pol Editor, Moses Nosike & Providence Obuh
UNLESS the Lagos Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, receives additional 5,000 Direct Data Capturing, DDC, machines from the national headquarters before Friday, the exercise might run into a hitch in Lagos.

Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, told Vanguard yesterday that so far, only 3,500 machines out of the 8,465 required for as many polling units, had been delivered to the state.

“Voters will be registered in 8,465 polling units. We have received 3,500 DDC machines. By tomorrow (today) it will be 6,000 and we expect the balance next tomorrow (Thursday),” he said.

Ogunmola spoke as a non-governmental organisation, Enough is Enough Nigeria Coalition, EIE, yesterday, urged Nigerians, especially those between the ages of 18 and 35 to participate in the voters’ registration exercise to enable them vote during the 2011 election.

On arrangements for the voters’ compilation exercise, for which the electoral commission carried out road show to sensitise the electorate, Ogunmola said INEC would conclude the training of the 240,000 ad hoc staff that would compile the register today.

Assuring that voters’ sensitisation programmes would be intensified, the REC said the commission was making arrangements to hire chairs and canopies for polling units in open places. A large chunk of the polling booths are located in primary and secondary schools across the state.

Asked if two weeks would be enough to register about the anticipated 5,000,000 voters, as each polling unit is expected to have between 500 to 1000 voters, Ogunmola nodded affirmatively.

He said: “Two weeks will be enough. We are used to wasting time in Nigeria. If you give people six months, you will still see people rushing to register on the last day.”

Meanwhile, EIE has launched the Register to vote, Select credible candidates, Vote, Protect your votes, RSVP, campaign ahead of the voters’ registration.

Project Manager, Chioma Ogwuegbu, said the four letters, RSVP, represent four key activities that young people need to complete successfully in order to have a positive impact on the 2011 general elections and thereby guarantee their place at the table in determining Nigeria’s future.

“For the purpose of the elections, we believe that young Nigerians should be educated, motivated and mobilised to actively participate in the 2011 elections and beyond”

Ogwuegbu disclosed that the organisation run an active social networking sites via twitter, facebook and youtube where over 380, 000 followers talk about the election, noting that the RSVP tag trends daily in Lagos and Abuja and keep the youths abreast of latest happenings concerning the elections.

Commending the Federal Government’s decision to shut down Primary and Secondary Schools ahead of the voters’ registration exercise, she urged tertiary institutions should also be shut to allow university students take part in the process.

“EIE is a coalition of young professionals and youth organisations committed to instituting a culture of good governance and public accountability in Nigeria through advocacy, activism and mobilisation of the youth population as responsible citizens,” she said.
Debola Williams, a member added that it was high time young people do things because of posterity, noting that the fight was for everybody especially young Nigerians who are the entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow.

Williams lamented that in one of their celebrity walks some university students demanded for money before they could join the walk and advised that young people should wake up to their responsibility and make the government realise that young people were ready to take charge.

-Vanguardwp_posts