INEC’s N35bn DDC machines rotting away

A number of the N35bn Direct Data Capture Machines procured by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2011 general elections are rotting away due to the absence of proper storage facilities, it has been revealed.

But the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, at a meeting with the Senate Committee on INEC in Abuja on Wednesday, said the commission had approached some companies to assist by providing containers to store the machines.

He said, “We got 300 containers from Dangote and Julius Berger which we used to decongest some of the old materials from the stores in order to put some of our DDC machines and new materials.

“But indeed, if you visit some of these stores, you will be concerned about the way the DDC machines are kept.

“And this is something I have the mandate to engage you and the leadership of the National Assembly as well as the executive in order to discuss how best to deal with this huge quantity of the DDC machines we have.

“We need to do a lot. In fact, if there are opportunities for a supplementary budget we need to pay particular attention to expanding the stores in all our offices.

“Since we have a lot of equipment and technology we need to have specially designed and constructed stores that can keep some of these equipment. Right now, we don’t have that kind of facilities in the stores.”

The INEC boss accused communities, electoral officers and security officials of conniving to register underage voters.

He alleged that some electoral officials were forced to register underage persons under duress.

Jega said, “Unfortunately, underage registration occurs where there is connivance between communities, security agencies and electoral officials. In some places, electoral officials were literarily compelled to do it at the risk of their lives.

“And when they did that, because it is an electoral offence, they won’t report it because if they do, they will be held responsible for succumbing to such pressures.

“Unfortunately, once it is done, it gets into the database and you have no way of separating it except visually.”

Chairman of the committee, Senator Andy Uba said they came as part of their oversight functions as enshrined in Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution.

He said the visit was not a “witch-hunt” but part of the process aimed at strengthening democracy.

Meanwhile, Jega said the 2012 budgetary allocation to INEC was inadequate for preparations toward the 2015 elections.

He told the committee, “Where we are having the most challenging issue is the slashing of the budget proposal by 40 per cent, as barely 60 per cent of the budget is appropriated.

“This has put INEC in a very serious constraint in terms of being able to do some essential and urgent jobs between now and 2015.”

Jega said INEC had only 600 permanent structures in 774 local government areas, adding that the structures were being renvoated without being furnished for effective use.