By Emma Amaize
SOME of the Direct Data Capturing, DDC, machines sent to Delta State by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the ongoing voters registration, have packed up at Ibusa, just as Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan finally registered, weekend, with the arrival of registration materials to Warri.

He registered at his Abigbordo country home in Warri North Local Government Area, seven days after the exercise commenced.

Vanguard learnt that some engineers called by INEC officials to fix the faulty DDC machines at some registration centres at Ibusa could not repair them, but, a supervisor with the Commission said all hopes were not lost.

It was gathered that the exercise commenced in the three Warri local government areas, weekend, following the shipment of DDC machines to the area. An Urhobo leader, Chief Emmanuel Okumagba, had, few days ago, called on the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in charge of the state to provide the 187 DDC machines meant for Warri South Local Government Area in the interest of peace.

Chief Okumagba, whose intervention saved a riotous situation in parts of Agbarha and Okere-Urhobo Kingdoms,  urged INEC to provide  relevant manpower to do the registration, publish addresses or paste the registration centres at INEC office and remove any incompetent officer, who would not be alive to his  responsibility.

Governor Uduaghan, who finally registered at about 4.00 pm in his hometown was at a registration centre in Ezemese Primary Cchool, Ibusa,  Oshimili North Local Government Area, on a monitoring exercise,  where he was told by the registration officer, Miss Joy Odobo, that the machines experienced over-heating, necessitating their being shut down in the afternoon.

As at that time, 70 persons had been registered at the centre and it took one hour to register one person when the exercise first started.

She said the DDC machines were generally malfunctioning and that hope of rectifying the problem was dashed when engineers called to fix the machines in Asaba could not find a solution.

A supervisor, Mr Emmanuel Osadebe, however, assured the governor that the machines would be repaired.

Governor Uduaghan thanked the registration officials for their efforts, while appealing to the people to give priority to pregnant women and elderly persons.

Uduaghan promised to prevail on INEC to take measures to register all eligible voters in the State despite the hitches in the early stages of the registration exercise.

He, however, pleaded with the Deltans to be patient with the electoral commission. The governor also  registration units in Uzoigwe Primary school Asaba where a large crowd of people waited patiently to be attended to.

On arrival at the registration centre, Governor Uduaghan observed how the exercise was carried out before finding out the progress made so far.

The unit’s registration officer, Mr Jeremy Okoloh told the Governor that 46 persons had registered as at 12.48pm, adding that the number was an improvement on the previous days.

He blamed the slow pace of the exercise on inadequate Direct Data Capturing Machines (DDC)

Governor Uduaghan later inquired from those waiting to be registered how the exercise had been.

They decried the slow pace of the registration and appealed to the state government to intervene.

Governor Uduaghan thanked the people for their enthusiasm and appealed for patient assuring that he would liaise with INEC to find solutions for problems.