By ADEKUNLE ADEKOYA, EMMA AMAIZE, TONY EDKE, BEN AGANDE, EMMA ARUBI & AKPOKONA OMAFUAIRE
LAGOS — THE shaky take-off of the on-going registration of voters for this year’s general elections is attributable to a combination of manpower, machines, and logistics, according to Vanguard findings.

In many of the registration centres visited, INEC’s registration officials could be seen struggling with the Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines, which made the process tedious, and kept people on queue for longer than intended.

At the sports arena on Oluwaleyimu Street, in Ikeja, which is a registration centre, it was discovered that the exercise was experiencing hiccups as a result of low sensitivity of the DCC in capturing fingerprints. An official who refused to give his name complained that “INEC had told us  that the DDC machine should be able to capture voter’s finger print in a few minutes.

Cross River State Governor, Sen Liyel being captured by the Direct Data capturing of INEC at the a registration centre in Itigidi, Abi Local Government Arae.

That is why we are experiencing difficulties in registering voters. We do not have problem in power as the DDC has back up that sustains the battery whenever there is no power supply from external source. Just yesterday, (Sunday) we were able to register 36 voters. We would have exceeded that number if the machines are smart,” he said.

At Eniyanlobinu Street, Oshodi, the story was similar. It was gathered that the exercise could not start on Saturday as scheduled until Sunday afternoon, and then, only 12 people were registered. The problems included battery and system failure, while those registered could not collect their cards as the printer also failed.

At Mabayoje Street, still in Oshodi, there were problems with the scanner, which caused only four (4) people to be registered on Sunday. However on Monday, the situation had improved as the faulty equipment had been replaced.

By 12.00 noon, yesterday, on Oronna Street, there were no officials and equipment to be seen, while people waited patiently for them to arrive.

At Arowojobe street, the exercise was faster compared to other centres visited. As at 12: 30 pm, over 32 persons had been registered. At Adeyemi street, the exercise very slow, and registration officials blamed the hiccups on the malfunctioning of their equipment.

Along the Ago Palace way also, a major thoroughfare in the Okota area of Lagos, voters registration spots had been closed down. People interviewed by this reporter had no clue as to the reasons but a theory had dangled that the embarrassing media reports might have caused many of them to close down temporarily as the machines had already been given problems days before.

It was in the Aguda district, a suburb in Surulere Local Government Area, that up and running DDC registration centres had been found but then on a closer look, it was discovered that the officials there were also battling with their machines.

One thing common to all the registration centres visited was the capture pads that took in thumb prints. A man on queue who gave his name as Dapo observed that the pads have been the major reasons for the hiccups in the registration process in the centre. He said the exercise went smoothly up on till the point of getting your thumb print captured.

“The problem is everywhere. You can imagine spending up to one hour on one person alone because of this thumb print machine that is not working,” he said heatedly.

The voters’ registration exercise for the 2001 general  elections  started nationwide last week  with INEC assuring Nigerians that it had the capacity for an effective voters’ registration.

But a close monitoring of voter’s registration exercise across major commercial nerve centers OF Lagos State last Monday  showed that the exercise has been in low ebb as a result

At one of the registration centers located at sports center by Oluwaleyimu street  Ikeja Lagos State, the exercise appears to be at low ebb as result of inability of the DDC machine to capture voters finger print very quickly.

But an INEC official who spoke to Vanguard CyberLIFE in an anonymous ground noted the thumb pad used in finger print is not as smart expected. “NEC

Speaking to one the prospective voters name withheld  who appears to have been waiting since morning until afternoon, the picture in his face showed that of frs

But a close monitoring of the whole exercise showed that prospective voters were waiting impatiently for their turn to get registered in the ongoing voters registration exercise.

They appealed to INEC to provide them with  alternative tools and generator to enable them speedy the process.

At Church street, the story was not palatable as the process was also very slow due to some hiccups emanating from the scanner.
For some reason, the machines had simply just refused to work. This reporter observed INEC registration officers ceaselessly rubbing, one at after the other, all ten finger pads of intending thumb printers on a glass green machine pad to no avail.

It was evident that the officials themselves did not have a clue as to what was going on and the carefree looks on their faces showed that they were not willing to do anything beyond what they were doing at the moment, people will just have to come and try their luck.

In another centre still within the Aguda area, the problem was the same; DDC pads that refused to work. Interestingly, this reporter observed that the registration officials there had devised different schemes and tricks to possibly get the machines to respond. A heavily built man stood nearby and helped prospecting thumb printers rigorously rub their thumb pads hard against a rough cloth.

The trick is to heighten sensation and raise body heat in the area with the hope that the machine will pick sensations from the heat and trigger some inner mechanism involved with capturing data. It was useless. Another had been with cleaning the thumb without methylated spirit or alcohol to free it from body oils that may be inhibiting the capture process, that too had not worked.

In a registration centre along Enitan road in Aguda, people were given numbers on papers that indicated their turn on long cues but then were advised by the same officials to go back home and come back again much later in the day.

In Cele-nisa unit, New Mebamu, Okokomaiko, Lagos, no single person in the area has been registered because, the laptops and other materials meant for the exercise exploded immediately they were connected to electric light making it impossible for people to be registered.

The suppliers of that particular equipment was not known as the damaged materials were immediately taken to the council headquaters before our reporters could reach to the polling center.

This incident happened on Sunday, when the residents numbering over 200 waited for hours before the registration officers arrived but were disappointed when the equipment that would use to register them went into frames.

A resident who begged for anonymity said; “we want to register where we live and today (Sunday) is the best day to do it because, some of us do our businesses places far from here”, he said while complaining that the INEC staff in-charge of their polling unit did not register anybody on the commencement day. “They said they only came to identify the centers.”

Inadequate materials witnessed in Ilasa

At Oremeji 036 polling unit, Ilasamaja, Mushin, the officials said they were starting late because of some challenges which include delay in the supply of some of the vital materials including laminating materials. “ we waited to collect those of materials we lacked yesterday, that’s why we are starting now”, an INEC official who did not want his name in print said.

At Amowu Odofin, source of power delayed exercise

The story was not different at Amowu polling unit 041. The registration officers complained that they don’t have a source of power supply to empower the equipment and a designated place to do the registeration. One of them said, “we have come since have been looking for a place to stay. Again, there is no light to power the machines”. However, a welder operating close to them has connected them with electric light.
Warri: Voter registration yet to take off in riverside areas

Meanwhile three days into the  voters registration exercise, the programme has not commenced in most riverside communities in Delta State due to unavailability of  Direct Data Capturing, DDC, machines and other registration materials,  while  in  some areas  where it had started at Warri, Effurun and Eku, the machines are not functioning properly.

Reacting to the development, yesterday, a Delta State House of Assembly aspirant under the platform of the Labour Party, LP, in Warri North local government area, Mr. Adanse Felix said he had not seen any DDC machine his area as at 12.00 pm.

His words, “The ongoing voter registration exercise has not started in the riverine areas in Warri North. It is a ploy to disenfranchise millions of people here, DDC machines are still being expected in the area. This is unexpected of INEC, I have not seen one of their machines and I seize this opportunity to call for extension of the time for the exercise”.

At ward 9, Eku,  in Ethiope East local government area of the state, yesterday, the finger prints machines were not working in  Units 4,  5, 6,9, 12 and 14, while in Unit 20, finger prints of some eligible voters were rejected.

An angry Mr  Origho Rolo lamented when he spoke to Vanguard that the Commission was not prepared for the registration exercise, saying, “INEC should not waste the time of Nigerians if they are not prepared for the exercise, we came out to register but its machines are not functioning”.

A newspaper distributor, Mr. Awhotu Thompson told Vanguard at a registration centre, unit 9, ward 2 in Uvwie local government area that his finger prints were rejected by the machine.

Asked what the INEC officials told him when their machine rejected his fingerprints, he said, “I was asked to come another day”.
When Vanguard visited the said unit, eligible voters who came for registration complained that the Commission has not shown sign of seriousness with the way the exercise was going on.

“Since last Saturday when they started, only 10 persons have been registered in this unit, the machine is too slow, it is not working well and they are wasting our time. People come here to register but when they see that they are going to spend the whole day waiting to be registered, they leave to do their businesses”, he added.

Chairman of the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi in a press statement, said reports from 125 observers of the group, drawn from the 25 local government areas of the state indicated that voter registration materials did not arrive registration centers in the state as at 12.00pm on the day the exercise commenced.

He said that names INEC staff trained for the exercise were not yet pasted and urged the Commission to sit up, pointing out, “”We call on INEC to sit tight as we shall lawfully resist any  form of disenfranchisement of the teeming population of voters in Delta state”.

Warri

In Warri eligible voters in the three Warri council area of Delta state that make up the Warri Federal constituency have not been registered. The member representing the constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Daniel Reyenieju yesterday in a press briefing on the issue said the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega must explain why the exercise is yet to commence in his constituency in spite of massive turn out by the people for the exercise, saying “it is unacceptable to him”.

Also, Chief Rita Lori_Ogbebor yesterday led over a hundred persons to the Warri INEC office to protest the delay in the exercise, insisting that INEC must extend the registration exercise by three days to the three Warri Council areas to compensate for the three days delay.

The largely riverine coastal constituency bordering the Atlantic ocean and parts of the oil city toured by the federal law maker was without the presence of INEC officials and DDC machines, wondering why his constituency was singled out for disenfranchisement.

Reyenieju said whenever the exercise commences, INEC must ensure that the mandatory 14_days slated for the exercise throughout the country be given to the people of his constituency adding that “prospective voters in the constituency are currently traumatised with strong fear of total or partial disenfranchisement”.

“I am aghast as to why INEC has refused to effect commencement of voter’s registration in Warri Federal constituency. Could this a ploy for an orchestrated end of ominous dimension against the prospective electorates of this constituency? he wondered

He therefore called on INEC Chairman and the state Resident Electoral Commissioner to as a matter of urgency assuage the fears of the people and give assurance to them that the non commencement of the exercise was not deliberate more so when the exercise is taking place around Warri and other areas of the state.

Vanguard gathered that the delay has made it difficult for Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to register while his colleagues’ governors have all registered.

According to Lori_Ogbebor, “for three days we have been waiting for the deployment of materials and youth Corps members, we were here on Saturday and till today no sign of commencement of the registration. We want to know why, and anytime we register, the whole world should that we had spent three days waiting and so they must give us three extra days.”

One of the protesters said “INEC is playing wayo, they don’t want us to register, we nor go gree at all at all.”

Mr. Mofe Edema, Warri_South Council Chairman while addressing the protesters assured that the exercise will commence soon that it was due to logistics problem, promising that no one will be disenfranchise but regretted the delay.

Though, No INEC official was available for comments but an INEC source told Vanguard that the delay is because “the required numbers of machines for the three council areas are not complete, we want to start at the same time, we are waiting for the arrival any moment.”
Voters’ registration yet to start in Enugu North Senatorial zone

ENUGU—THE current Voters Registration Exercise is yet to commence in local government areas within Enugu North Senatorial zone (Nsukka zone) of Enugu State three days after the exercise was flagged off nationwide.

There were several complaints from other parts of the state yesterday regarding non_availability and shortage of registration materials at the designated centres within the urban and rural areas.

Politicians and electorate from Enugu North have expressed fears that the entire people of the zone might be disenfranchised in forthcoming general elections if urgent steps were not taken by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to remedy the situation.

Vanguard observed that on the first and second days of the exercise, not up to five persons were registered at each centre where the Direct Data Machines, DDC were available, while officials and materials were yet to arrive at most of the designated centres.

At Nsukka metropolis yesterday, hundreds of officials engaged by INEC for the exercise were seen loitering around the commission’s office as they were not issued materials to move to the registration centres.

A female politician and House of Assembly Aspirant of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Obioma Asadu told Vanguard at Nsukka that the exercise was yet to commence in the area, adding that the registration materials were yet to arrive the senatorial zone.

She expressed fears that the exercise would be unsuccessful in the area unless there is an urgent intervention by INEC to deploy the needed equipment without further delay, adding that the people were more worried by the  INEC Chairman’s  comment that any centre that registers below 400 voters would be cancelled as various centres may not meet that target due to late start.

“There appears to be a deliberate plan to disenfranchise the people of Nsukka zone otherwise why should the authorities ignore our complaints that no a single person has been registered in Nsukka and other local government areas within Enugu North senatorial district.

You can see the officials hired for the registration exercise loitering around here because they have not been supplied with materials.
“Nothing has happened here since the exercise commenced three days ago and our people are very disturbed.  Even when the Enugu State Government declared three_day public holiday to enable the people register, there is nothing going on here and nothing has been achieved.  We may end up staying at home for three days without being registered.   Something must be done urgently to remedy the situation,” Asadu said.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Josiah Uwaezuruonye, attributed the slow take off of the exercise in some parts of the state to their inability to access the Direct Date Machines and other materials on time.

“I apologize for this slip, honestly we did our best to ensure that what we have is moved round the state and for the exercise to commence as scheduled. But you see, the machines were received late and we started charging and configuring them to suit each voting unit because they are custom made. Charging alone takes about eight hours and so before all these could be concluded, it was late,” he stated this while reacting to series of complaints on the first day.

The INEC REC said that already about 1,948 machines had been brought into the state, stressing that the number was not enough for the exercise.

Why voters registration had shaky start—Zinox

Meanwhile, Zinox Computers, one of the local PCs assemblers that won the contract for the DDC machine has disclosed in a press statement that the  DDC machines, the technology backbone for the exercise had a shaky start in some areas.

“The first problem was related to the capacity of INEC personnel to install the equipment properly. In most places the personnel adopted a trial and error strategy that was time wasting and frustrating.

“The second problem was related to slow finger scanning arising from the way that INEC calibrated its software to achieve high quality finger print. INEC has given its word that both problems would be fully addressed in full course.

“In Lagos, management staff of Zinox Technologies Limited went round the city in the first day of the registration exercise in a bid to help the INEC staff to install the equipment properly and make the takeoff of the voters’ registration less frustrating. Zinox earlier displayed patriotism by employing 2 Engineers for each of the 36 States and Abuja.

“ These 74 support staff was not part of the contract but a gesture from Zinox to ensure that the DDC technology does not overwhelm the INEC operatives. In addition, Zinox has caused to be published full page color advertisements in all national dailies designed to give vital tips, with graphic details on the DDC machines.

“Well meaning Nigerians believe that in due course, as the INEC staff master the DDC technology, most of these efforts would yield a hitch free exercise” the statement said.

All hitches to be resolved in 48 hours____Jega.

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega has however assured that all technical hitches associated with the Registration of Voters nation wide would be resolved in the next forty Eight hours and has urged Nigerians not to panic or despair.

In an interview with Vanguard in Abuja yesterday, the INEC boss noted that adequate remedial measure have been taken and they would soon be felt, adding that with the deployment of a huge number of Direct Data Capturing Machines nationwide, such hitches were not totally unexpected.

Professor Jega’s position was conveyed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Kayode Idowu in an Exclusive interview with Vanguard.
According to him, ‘the result of those measures that have been taken would be seen in twenty four hours or a little more. I can assure you of that’.

He emphasized that the hitches noticed during the registration of voters should not affect the confidence of Nigerians in the ability of the INEC chairman to conduct a free and fair elections in April this year.

He emphasized that ‘that there are hitches or initializing problems in a massive operation, how has that affected the character or the integrity of the leadership of INEC. I believe that in every human activity where you have a massive operation, even in military operations, there are hiccup. When you are deploying 120,000 units and there problems in 50 to 60 units, is that so unheard of?

“The commission has even owned up to that and is pleading for patience and has taken remedial measures the result of which would be seen very shortly. As a matter of fact, the reports that we are getting is that the results are already discernable. I can assure you that in twenty four or forty eight hours, people will walk into a registration centre, register and walk out in a few minutes” he said.

He pointed out that the issue of extension of time for the registration has not arisen because the exercise is still in its infancy and the commission has taken measures to address the teething challenges notice.

“Like the chairman has always said, we are only three days into a fifteen day exercise. We want to see whether within that fifteen days INEC would not be able to capture all those who are eligible to be registered. That is when the issue of extension will arise. One pledge has been made and Nigerians can hold the commission to that pledge that no body who comes up to register would not be registered.

It is  pledge that the chairman has made and the reason that pledge was made was that whatever it takes to register the last man, it would be done” he stressed.

Vanguard gathered that in order to tackle the challenges being faced by the commission in registering voters, INEC has issued a soft ware instruction to all its Resident Electoral Commissioners in the states to reduce the resolution of the scanners to enable the devices to capture even weaker finger prints.

The commission also informed its field officers that ‘scanners are averse to direct sunlight as such the machines should be shielded from direct sunlight to enhance performance. It has also been found that the machines performed better when the registrant is standing.

“Registration Officers are therefore advised to always keep the scanners and fingers free of dirt’s and oil by wiping with methylated  spirits and avoid further contacts with oily surfaces because of the sensitive nature of the scanning devices” the commission stated yesterday in its daily bulletin.