The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega , on Wednesday appeared before the Federal Executive Council.



He was at the meeting to brief the council members on the level of INEC’s preparation for the 2011 general elections.



Although it was not clear if the briefing was at the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan, Jega was given an opportunity to explain some issues.



Details of his briefing were not made public but THE PUNCH learnt that during the meeting, Jega told the council the arrangements that had been put in place by the electoral body to purchase the Direct Data Capturing machines for the compilation of a new voter register.



He was said to have also said that INEC‘s initial projections which led to the unit price of $2,000 for the DDCMs, did not include Value Added Tax.



A source at the meeting said he explained that this was the major reasön for the delay in signing the contracts for the supply of the machines by cöntractors.



The source said the INEC chairman made a fresh presentation, which FEC would approve next week.



Sources said that at the end of his explanations, the council assured him of its commitment to ensure that INEC conducted a hitch- free elections in 2011.`



When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, explained that critical issues surrounding procurement formalities for the DDC machines were discussed.



Idowu said, “He (Jega) was at FEC but I was not there. However, I do not anticipate any likelihood that FEC will disapprove of anything on the DDC machines at this point.”



He, however, declined comments as to whether or not contracts for the supply of the DDCMs had been signed.



When pressed further, Idowu simply said, “The process is on. I spoke with the chairman this (Wednesday) morning and the information I have for you is that the process is virtually concluded.”



Idowu assured Nigerians that machines would be in the country before the commencement of voter registration in January.



He added, “The direct data capture machine will surely get into our hands before the January date when the voter registration is scheduled to begin. I can assure you that the processes for delivery of the machines have now been virtually concluded.



“It is now virtually a done deal and we do not have any apprehension about the machines being available for voter registration in January.”



He explained that the appearance of Jega before FEC was “part of the finalisation of the processes,” for the purchase of the machines.



On a newspaper report that INEC had that the contracts for the machines had been, Idowu said that he cannot confirm or deny whether it.



“As I said, I can neither confirm nor deny that. The newspaper quoted unnamed sources,” he said.



Although no exact estimate has been made given ,but feelers from INEC’s office indicated about N30m would be spent on the facility.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201011044453515

Jega has been known to be a person of integrity but the INEC job is making him to exhibit that he is inexperienced. How on earth can a former vice chancellor approve a memo and later on claim that there were certain things that were not included initially, VAT for example? and this memo has gone to BPP am really surprised. He has been to be very careful

It seem to be that this guy is being used (or is using the opportunity he has) to loot INEC systematically. These errors are becoming too much, it's difficult to conclude that they are not premeditated. Too bad

watching. No comment for now

why?[img]http://2.s07.flagcounter.com/count/DymW/bg=ffffff/txt=ffffff/border=ffffff/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/[/img]
[img]http://s07.flagcounter.com/count/DymW/bg=ffffff/txt=ffffff/border=ffffff/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/[/img]

this can be more an initiation into the criminal association of nigeria. a new criminal (jega) meets with law breaking criminals(FEc)

I've said it many times over that I doubt Jega's competence.

Conducting elections requires administrative skills which he clearly lacks. If at this stage he is acting like this, what will happen when the heat is on and he is overwhelmed with issues

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-530955.0.html

JEG IS ONE WORD SHORT Jega !!!



'A' FOR ADMINISTRATION.

Jega WILL BORROW JEG THE MISSING 'A'. SHIKENNA!

lol

i am new here and will like to know how to post a topic anybody please

Jega is proving to b by far d most incompetent election chairman we'd ever had.
b4 presentation of budget for procurement of DDC machines, he was full of dignified & elegant speech of how we r going to have d freest & most credible elections of all time. b4 now, his cost presentations had been found to b grossly wanting in accountability & reviewed 3-times, yet , d executive & nat assembly had been painfully patient & bending over to his demands.
now THIS
how on earth can any educated adult on dis planet, in such an high profile office, fail to factor in VAT in his procurement processes? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, this should b d most basic of additions to cost. & dis man is an accademic professor & was administrator of a university?? We did not get dis rubbish from Iwu & Guobadia, his predecessors, even with all their failings & negligence. We'd seen Jega talk d talk but we don't see Jega walk the walk.
Under normal circumstances, Jega would have been fired a long time ago, but this is nigeria, d land were mediocrity pervades all.

i won't really blame jega - dude is being rushed

this always happens when you are rushed on a project and do not have sufficient resources

standard mo in situations like this is to 'pad' your schedule and costs so you can resolve shortfalls without external intervention - problem in this case is that he would be accused of inflating the budget so as to settle himself.

a multibillion naira project, and only three months to prepare - this sheet will happen

A National agency complaining that they forgot to odd VAT to their procurement calculations? Hmmmmm. . .amateurs.

That is a bubu by Jega, in most countries especially in d UK VAT would be paid back to if d items u are buying are exported out of the UK. The man is lying they should hold him.

Panzastrip:

i am new here and will like to know how to post a topic anybody please

same way u posted this reply.

from home page, click on any section u want post topic, click on NEW TOPIC button (top rite side). dats it.
lol

Jega is trying to be too pure, how did he estimate and scrutinised contractors quotation and did not not notice that VAT was missen, what does this tell us about his time as VC of a university?

He lacks competence but has integrity, I only hope he does not lose that after the elections.

Conducting a credible election does not require DDCs, all it requires is an INEC that is willing to do its job.

We could have people register like they did before you conduct the elections and count votes at polling booths, agents of the different political parties must sign that this was the actual vote, the police on duty would have its column, independent observers would have their columns to sign some check and balances, any ward or booth that has violence or votes could not be counted will be cancelled, its not a question of who or what, just outright cancellation, the police on duty at such post should also be made liable that where votes dont count the police officer in charge would be suspended if he has no culprit or is even imagined to have colluded, this would put the officer in check, soldiers can be deployed to the states, where they will be operationally mobile to arrive any flash point within 15 minutes.

Those who have voters cards, can vote, those without the old voters card can register to vote, the old version of the voters card should be fed into a database, every polling booth should have 6 laptops and internet modems of all the communications network we have, the laptops and modems can be sourced from the communications coy as their contribution and coporate governance, I think it makes more sense than givin some musicians N100m for endorsements, all these laptops have access to the database, once u give ur full name and voter card num ur data will come up No 2 people can have the same names or voters number and once you have been given a ballot ur name and number is locked, we could even use the thumb print equipments the phone networks are using to register their customers at the polling booths. This thumb print readers would be used to take thumbprints of those voting and fed into the system immediately, if any body who thumbprints goes to any other booth with another voters card the moment he places his thumb it would give an error message.

With this rigging would be discouraged, because once u have an issue all the electoral officer have to do is signify to the police, who should take the person off for questioning, they could use their discretion and advice the offenders of their actions and quietly offer the offender to go home without making noise or else, that offender would be the evangelist to all other aspiring offenders that it is impossible to vote twice.

At the end of the day maybe only 40% of registered and eligible voters may vote but definitely the votes would count and then all Nigerians would be ready to vote come 2015.

marvix:

Jega is trying to be too pure, how did he estimate and scrutinised contractors quotation and did not not notice that VAT was missen, what does this tell us about his time as VC of a university?

He lacks competence but has integrity, I only hope he does not lose that after the elections.

Conducting a credible election does not require DDCs, all it requires is an INEC that is willing to do its job.

We could have people register like they did before you conduct the elections and count votes at polling booths, agents of the different political parties must sign that this was the actual vote, the police on duty would have its column, independent observers would have their columns to sign some check and balances, any ward or booth that has violence or votes could not be counted will be cancelled, its not a question of who or what, just outright cancellation, the police on duty at such post should also be made liable that where votes dont count the police officer in charge would be suspended if he has no culprit or is even imagined to have colluded, this would put the officer in check, soldiers can be deployed to the states, where they will be operationally mobile to arrive any flash point within 15 minutes.

Those who have voters cards, can vote, those without the old voters card can register to vote, the old version of the voters card should be fed into a database, every polling booth should have 6 laptops and internet modems of all the communications network we have, the laptops and modems can be sourced from the communications coy as their contribution and coporate governance, I think it makes more sense than givin some musicians N100m for endorsements, all these laptops have access to the database, once u give your full name and voter card num your data will come up No 2 people can have the same names or voters number and once you have been given a ballot your name and number is locked, we could even use the thumb print equipments the phone networks are using to register their customers at the polling booths. This thumb print readers would be used to take thumbprints of those voting and fed into the system immediately, if any body who thumbprints goes to any other booth with another voters card the moment he places his thumb it would give an error message.

With this rigging would be discouraged, because once u have an issue all the electoral officer have to do is signify to the police, who should take the person off for questioning, they could use their discretion and advice the offenders of their actions and quietly offer the offender to go home without making noise or else, that offender would be the evangelist to all other aspiring offenders that it is impossible to vote twice.

At the end of the day maybe only 40% of registered and eligible voters may vote but definitely the votes would count and then all Nigerians would be ready to vote come 2015.

Very Brilliant! However, we live in a country where the people know wat to do, but simply choose not to do it, go to FIRS offices, you'll find countless heaps of papers, almost touching the roof. u think they dont knw the digital way to do it? i bet u, your idea has been presented by lots of other people, but when a man has no eye for integrity, the rest is simply history.
We can only pray for change, and hope the right man gets on the seat someday!

how on earth can any educated adult on dis planet, in such an high profile office, fail to factor in VAT in his procurement processes? FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, this should b d most basic of additions to cost. & dis man is an accademic professor & was administrator of a university??

Must Fed. Government pay VAT to itself.?

Like all well-meaning Nigerians, I am worried about this INEC Chairman who have had to come back 3 or 4 times over a simple issue of estimates for procurement of DDC machines. It is scary to imagine a situation whereby our Jega will may grievous mistakes in more complicated matters like the conduct of the registration and elections proper.