By Adekunle Adekoya
ASABA—The Asagba of Asaba, HRH Prof. Chike Edozien, has urged the Nigerian Computer Society, NSC, to do all it can to help the nation automate the electoral process,  so that the nation will forthwith experience peaceful transitions through credible elections.
The royal father made the call yesterday, in his Palace, during a courtesy call on him by a delegation of the Nigerian Computer Society, NCS, led by its president, Professor Charles Uwadia. The NCS is holding its national conference, the 23rd in the series, in Asaba,  Delta State capital.

Represented by the Olikeze of Asaba, Chief John Iloba, the royal father noted that previous elections have always been contentious, especially when electoral disputes are before the election tribunals, and records are needed to prove cases or otherwise.

He added that in many cases, the absence or fidelity of such records, preserved in hard copy format have not served the course of justice. But now, Chief Iloba added, with the coming of computers, such records can be preserved and retrieved for use to resolve such cases.

“In our days, when I was a stenographer, and we used typewriters,” Chief Iloba recalled, “we typed documents and kept copies in the file, which may then get damaged or lost. But now, with computers, such documents can be saved. Please do all you can to help computerize our electoral system, so that we can have credible elections.”

Earlier, NCS president, Prof. Charles Uwadia told the royal gathering, that NCS was holding its conference in Asaba with the theme,  Realising a Stable Political System in Nigeria: IT tools and Strategies

“We at NCS are professionals. NCS is an advocacy group, we are not politicians. But as Nigerians, we are interested in what concerns us, and also how we can freely choose our leaders. That is why, as 2011 elections approach, we are holding this conference with the them focusing the electoral system. That is why we are here,” he said.