In the Bodija area of Ibadan, Oyo State, some of those registered claimed that their finger prints were not taken during registration.At the weekend, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had gone to three different registration points to register but his finger prints were not captured by the machines.
Finger printing continues
In Abuja, where similar complaints were made, the commission denied issuing orders suspending the procedure.
It, however, acknowledged that though there are "few difficulties", they were being attended to. "We are not aware of that and we do not know those peddling that," Emmanuel Umenger, the INEC's director, Public Affairs, told NEXT.Finger scanning is key to the registration, as the electoral body hopes it will help deal with multiple voting during the April general elections. At the registration point nationwide, each registrant is expected to submit all 10 fingers. The commission estimated that the process would take an average of 10 minutes.But for its third day running, the exercise has been nearly marred by scenes of queues and complaints resulting from alleged non-functional electronic machines acquired newly by the commission.
Officials of the commission said Mr. Obasanjo's fingerprint may be amongst those classified as "weak", and could have been responsible for the delay observed when he tried to get registered.Asked further about the specifications of the equipment ordered, the officials failed to respond. But according to documents it submitted to the National Assembly during its budget defence last year, the finger scanners projected for the commission should be of Futronic model, with 500 (Dots per inch) DPI and camera strength of 480x320 pixel. A unit was planned at US$97.72.In its daily bulletin yesterday, the commission said it had dispatched "software instructions" to Resident Electoral Commissioners to reduce the resolution of the scanners to enable the devices capture weaker finger prints."It is also to be noted that scanners are averse to direct sunlight. The machines should, therefore, be shaded from direct sunlight," INEC added.
Registration problems persisted yesterday, according to those who have attempted to do it. In Zaria, Kaduna State, Alexander Oko, a resident, said people spent nearly one hour to be registered due to prolonged fingerprinting problems, resulting in queues and raising fears that the commission's self-imposed minimum target of 70 million voters, may not be met.The INEC spokesperson, Mr. Umenger, said although there may be targets, the exercise cannot be reduced to computation. "However, we are putting in place mechanisms to make sure the commission makes up for the loss of time," adding that at this stage, the commission is not considering any time extension. "Anyone on the queue is to be registered even beyond the closing time, except for those who come after 5pm." For most part of yesterday, chairman, Attahiru Jega, took part in the field monitoring of the progress of the exercise, according to his aides.In Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri North local government councils registration were yet to begin.
According to the council boss of Warri South-West, George Ekpemupolo, "For now, we have not seen any machine and so we have not even started. I have called the Electoral Officer and he said that the fault is from INEC, that they are waiting for instruction from above. Immediately we receive the machines, we are going to distribute them as quickly as possible. I have been able to talk to my people to be patient and I want to implore INEC to extend the registration." "As a council chairman, I have not been able to register because three days after the exercise, I have not even seen the machines and I am worried about the development because my people have not been able to register as I speak to you," Mr. Ekpemupolo added.
No cause for alarm
Matthew Mofe Edema, chairman of Warri South Council, and JFK Omatsone, former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, said there was no cause for alarm as INEC had assured that the registration would begin on January 18.In Uvwie local government area, the exercise is wobbling as in other places, as those who spoke in the council area complained that they had not been able to participate in the exercise as expected.Also, rural communities in Cross River State are yet to set eyes on the Direct Data Capturing [DDC] machines. Though INEC distributed the machines at the weekend, they did not get to the hinterlands, as council wards in urban centres cornered them to set the stage for an avalanche of complaints and petitions from the rural folks.The state has 2, 283 polling units, 90% of the biometric machines have been distributed to these units, according to the state resident electoral commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini.But despite this revelation, reports from across the state speak of unavailability of these machines, causing concerned politicians anxiety.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Ini Ekott, Ben Dunno and Modey Peters
Quelle/Source: 234NEXT, 18.01.2011
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