CONFUSION reigned supreme at the House of Representatives on Wednesday as the reported N50 million electronic voting system adopted by the House leadership failed conspicuously, a situation that forced the House to revert to plan B as it resorted to use of manual voting for the clauses penciled down in the ongoing constitution review process.

Investigation by Nigerian Tribune revealed that the electronic voting system packaged by the Nigerian Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited cost the House a whopping N50 million.

About 327 members had gathered in the chamber as of 11:25 a.m. ready to vote on the 87 clauses penciled down for alteration in the 1999 constitution as amended, but were faced with technical hitches as the mini ipad tablets made available to members failed to function.

Several efforts by the NIGCOMSAT team led by its Managing Director, Engineer Ahmed Rufai who wore flowing agbada and cap to match to fix the problem failed.

While members and the NIGCOMSAT team were still in a fix on the voting pattern, the Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila was sighted moving from one seat to the other ostensibly passing message to his party members from Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on the directive from the party’s national leaders.

At a point, the House Leadership had a quick meeting at the pew with the Speaker, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, while some members were also seen in groups discussing.

However, attempt by Engineer Rufai to calm the lawmakers down over the failed electronic voting system failed. The NIGCOMSAT boss had told members that the electronic voting system was test run early Wednesday morning and that it worked and pleaded for some time to fix the problem.

But apprehension of lawmakers on how to vote on the constitution review exercise was later laid to rest by the Speaker, who announced to the cheering members that there was a plan B.

Immediately the Speaker announced the plan B, which he said was manual voting system, most members who had earlier been battling with how to even use the mini ipad tablets cheered and clapped intermittently over the new development.

Announcing the alternative method, the Speaker asked representatives of each states and Federal Capital Territory in the constitution amendment ad hoc committee to come forward and get their documents from the Clerk of the House, Barrister Sani-Omolori Ataba, which contained the register and bulky document that contained the clauses scheduled for alteration.

A mild drama also played out when Honourable Gbajabiamila made attempt to raise a point of order, but was totally ignored by the Speaker, but after some minutes, the Speaker in a jocular manner said, “Minority Leader your point of order will be taken after consideration of this report.”

Earlier, the Speaker had reminded his colleagues to vote in line with the wishes of their constituents, saying, “as representatives of our people we need to be guided with the wishes of our constituents.”

Nigerian Tribune recalled that the Speaker had on Tuesday announced after the House rose from a closed-door session that electronic voting system would be used for voting in consideration of the clauses penciled down for alteration.

He had claimed that: “NigComsat has provided iPads to help the House in perfecting the voting system and to ensure that it is hitch-free. What is worth doing is worth doing well.”

As at the time of filing this report, the result of the manual voting process was still being collated by staff of National Assembly who were nominated by the House Clerk.

Source: http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/17536-constitution-review-reps-back-lg-autonomy-%E2%80%A2scrap-siecs,-inec-to-conduct-lg-polls-%E2%80%A2remove-immunity-for-president,-govs.html

This must definitely be the fault of GEJ.
Yes, GEJ caused it because he is the cause of every bad thing in Nigeria.

Nonsense!!!

gregtochi: This must definitely be the fault of GEJ.
Yes, GEJ caused it because he is the cause of every bad thing in Nigeria.

Nonsense!!!

Seriously? GEJ will soon be held responsible for some men wife's pregnancy.