Hoodlums steal INEC data capturing machines in Enugu

Hoodlums steal INEC data capturing machines in Enugu

- INEC expresses worry that the stealing of its data capturing machines in Enugu will affect the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise in the state

- The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Emeka Ononamadu, insists the commission remains undaunted in its determination to deliver credible election by 2019

The commission expresses satisfaction over the record of 319,106 new eligible voters in Lagos

Some unidentified persons have carted away direct data capturing machines belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in three local government areas in Enugu state.

This Day reports that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Emeka Ononamadu, disclosed that the three councils are Oji-River, Enugu south and Ezeagu.

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Ononamadu made the disclosure during a town hall meeting with civil society organsations and the media on Friday, March 30.

He said the commission is worried that the development had affected the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise in the state as thousands of those who had taken part in the affected councils would need to be called back to be re-registered.

Ononamadu said: “It’s important for us to say it time and again that our major problem is external not internal. It is not within INEC, it is outside INEC. And I will explain to you. Within the last six months of my tenure, we have experienced burglary in Oji River (LGA), we have experienced burglary in Enugu South (LGA), and we have experienced burglary in Ezeagu (LGA), and few other places.

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“What was the target? Those direct data capture machines. Enugu would have been better than sixth position now, but because of the machines, our PDF machines, and our back up that they took from Ezeagu where we have more centres now.

“Unfortunately the backup we believed that had part of the registration data didn’t save anything. And we are talking about thousands of registrants. We are in the process of getting back those forms they filled to see if we’ll begin to call them again, whether they will agree to come all over again. But it is not a ghost that broke into the ceiling, scaled into the offices and ransacked everywhere and took those machines away. These were human beings who want to sabotage the entire process."

The REC however insisted that the commission remained undaunted in its determination to deliver credible election by 2019. He also faulted reports that INEC personnel were demanding money from those taking part in the voter registration exercise.

Meanwhile, INEC, Lagos state, on Tuesday, March 27, said it had registered 319,106 new eligible voters in the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR), exercise.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in the state, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in Lagos. Olumekun said over 21,991 Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), were distributed during the first quarter of the CVR exercise in 2018, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports.

The REC added that 27,103 transfer cases were attended to and 43,116 cards were replaced in the state since the exercise started in 2017.

INEC official at Abuja court on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng

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