Many of the 132, 000 units of the Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machines ordered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the purpose of registering Nigerians ahead of this year’s elections are not working seamlessly. P.M.NEWS investigation has revealed.

The machines cost $1771.73 per set comprising a laptop, webcam, and printer and were supplied by three companies including Zinox Technologies Limited, Haier Electrical Appliances Corporation and Avante International Technology Inc to the commission.

The DDC machines which were manufactured in China, from where they were brought to Nigeria are expected to be used by ad-hoc staff of INEC and corps members in the country for the registration of adult citizens between 15 and 29 January, 2011.

But P.M.NEWS learnt that most of the ad-hoc staff employed to train and monitor the members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had hectic time at the weekend trying to operate the machines.

Though the ad-hoc staff who are also the supervising registration officers were instructed by INEC not to speak with journalists throughout the exercise, some of them who pleaded anonymity, expressed their pessimism about the exercise to P.M.NEWS.

According to them, the registration would experience hitches as many Nigerians may not be able to register in order to get their voter’s card.

They said they had complained to the officials of the commission that they could not successfully operate the machines to no avail.

“One of the officials told us to just make do with what we have and get our allowances at the end of the day since our complaints could generate problems if they are made public.

“That is also the reason we were asked not to speak with the press throughout the registration of voters,” one of the supervisors said.

Another ad-hoc staff of the commission told P.M. NEWS that it was too late to effect any changes or since the date for the commencement of the exercise had started.

According to him, “this challenge is sure going to be another setback for the commission in the conduct of a free and fair election this year.”

“Many people will not be able to register. Some would even register and they would not get their slips which would enable them get the voter’s cards when they are ready.”

Some of the Corps members, apart from expressing fears about their security during the exercise, also said they were disappointed that they could not operate the machines well at the practical.

“If we are finding it difficult to even register ourselves now, what do you think would happen when we are facing Nigerians during the exercise?” one of them queried.

Another Corps member complained that though she was among the first set of people to use a machine in her centre, it took her 45 minutes to successfully register herself, “because the buttons on the keyboard stopped working immediately I started.

http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/four-days-voters%E2%80%99-registration-inec-staff-can%E2%80%99t-operate-ddc-machines-pm-news-lagos

@poster, i wonder where you got your information from. Over here where i am, even a retard can operate the machine. Why do you guys always come up with news to always discredit every action geared towards anything good in this country? Nigerians sha

The beginning of Jega's metamorphosis into Iwu  

l believe this story 100%. in Nigeria, everything is possible even the unexpected. U heard the statement credited to one of the officials that the adhoc staff shd just do whatever and get their allowance upon completing a futile exercise. N72billion no be small money. Politics is very sweet and rewarding.

Dr Know:

The beginning of Jega's metamorphosis into Iwu

The issue is that he was no different from Iwu in the face place. Jega was a consultant to Iwu's INEC, he never resigned in protest to how Iwu's INEC was run, there was no newspaper article from Jega at the time criticising Iwu's INEC neither was there any speech that could be referenced to suggest that he thinks otherwise.

I made this point when Jega was appointed but folks did not take it seriously. We chose to be the Nigerians that we are, believing in speculations instead of records and hoping for good on a platter of gold eventhough our history suggests otherwise.

At the time I said Jega is either as "corrupt" (note the quotation marks) as Iwu or he recognises that no INEC Chairman alone can change the system.

Personally I did not think Jega was corrupt, I do not also think he is corrupt now and I will not also think that he is corrupt on June 1st after he would have failed electorally. I simply realise that the problem is the system itself and the Nigerian people as a whole. Swapping the INEC chairman is and never will be a wholistic electoral reform.

How do they say it again?

"You can put lipstick on a pig, it is still a pig"

I hope they get people trained now

Training aint the issue, the biometric scanner takes like FOREVER to load lol

@OP, like they will be using the information gathered for anything, registration or no registration PDP will win, this is so frustrating

Big lies

So this DDC machine wey dem dey hype since na just laptop, camera and printer?

Ibime:

So this DDC machine wey dem dey hype since na just laptop, camera and printer?

Oh yes, a laptop that cost $1771 (N282250) each and freezes at the touch of a key!

It may be just rumours.

It may be just rumours.

OK, let us get the basics right first.

Not saying that these machince and personels trained up wont work. But look at the situation that happened to me during the last voters register excersize.

1: INEC officials that were meant to register people did not turn up till 1:30pm, although the agreed time was 8:00am

2: 2 INEC officials arrived to register over 1000 people, whereby each registeration takes about 5mins. Do this maths, regiateration was meant to happen 1day only.

3: INEC registeration was due to end at 5:00pm, considering they arrived very late, how many people would they have registered before the close of business?

4: Most importantly, they arrive with only 1 machine and no backup battery or generator. After about 1:30hrs, they decided to leave.

Dr Know:

Oh yes, a laptop that cost $1771 (N282250) each and freezes at the touch of a key!

Freezes at the touch of a key or during the scanning process?

monkeyleg:

OK, let us get the basics right first.

Not saying that these machince and personels trained up wont work. But look at the situation that happened to me during the last voters register excersize.

1: INEC officials that were meant to register people did not turn up till 1:30pm, although the agreed time was 8:00am

2: 2 INEC officials arrived to register over 1000 people, whereby each registeration takes about 5mins. Do this maths, regiateration was meant to happen 1day only.

3: INEC registeration was due to end at 5:00pm, considering they arrived very late, how many people would they have registered before the close of business?

4: Most importantly, they arrive with only 1 machine and no backup battery or generator. After about 1:30hrs, they decided to leave.

This is typical of the Nigerian factor and what i will describe as common mistake of INEC.

I hope they wont try this this time around, they have a number of days to do this and not the one day they had last time.

Guys please take note of centers like this so we can report them immediately. Thank God for technology.

I am an adhoc staff and a corp member. During the training exercise it took about 35 minutes to register a person. The inputing of biodata takes up to 3 minutes but the scanning of finger prints 10 fingers takes up to 30 minutes. I dont see the possibility of effective voters registration in this country.

vincent_09:

I am an adhoc staff and a corp member. During the training exercise it took about 35 minutes to register a person. The inputing of biodata takes up to 3 minutes but the scanning of finger prints 10 fingers takes up to 30 minutes. I dont see the possibility of effective voters registration in this country.

There you have it. People not planning properly or doing the right maths.

Registeration should be done in the local government offices, where you can have at least 10 /15 machines running at the same time. With provision for constant electriicty , water and food for the Inec officials. Only in extreme cases should we have mobile units, in buses or vans kitted out with generators.

The excersize should run for over a week, 4days is just not enough.

Also the process must be simplified. 35mins to register a person is not workable

vincent_09:

I am an adhoc staff and a corp member. During the training exercise it took about 35 minutes to register a person. The inputing of biodata takes up to 3 minutes but the scanning of finger prints 10 fingers takes up to 30 minutes. I dont see the possibility of effective voters registration in this country.

I suspected the scanning would be the issue. Why in the world would INEC spend so much on crappy scanning machines?

Welcome to Nigeria, where proper thought is never put into anything, as long as someone is benefitting from this waste. typical of everything we do. Waste, waste, and more waste.

can imagine who would have thought up this rubbish. Like I said it is the small small details that will consume them first

I really hope Jega is not really about to let his name be dragged in the mud with this. After all we have spent, there is no excuse.

Well Delta state re-run was an indication of things to come. We cried foul, but no one would listen,

now folding hands and watching, and this time around i am not buying no Inec official buns and pepsi, they should come with thier own

See these people blaming INEC!

Dr Know:

Oh yes, a laptop that cost $1771 (N282250) each and freezes at the touch of a key!

That's Zinox for you!
Later people will start playing the 'patriotism' card. Instead of getting the best IT input for the job, we're using 'local content' to short-change ourselves. Zinox has long been known for inferior, overpriced hardware. What a shame.

@Texazzpete,

I am not sure that is the only problem. Things in Nigeria are just not thought through. Why majority laptops when we can alos have these in desktops for half the price?

The whole strategy is wrong, and any one with a clear vision can see that this whole excersize is heading for failure. the signs are there.

I am not convinced that what they have planned will work. they have just thrown money at a very bad plan, but then again our perception of success is set very low

@ vincent_09, pls lets do some arithmetic, suppose a machine can use 45mins/head * 8hrs * say 1200 machines/state * 15 days, will the registration not be 80% successful?

^^^ With probably over 30 million people to be registered? Where did your 80% calculation fall from? The sky? Is this a joke to you?

even @ 5mins per head, you wont get far. I was testimony to that. And dont forget registeration is planned for 4 days.

I think we should cut the bull and recognise that we simply can not do democracy as the rest of the world know.

There is no need living in denial.

Let us device a means of choosing our leaders that will be easy for us and that will stay true to promise.

no need to pretend about elections that dont exist.

@ monkeyleg, false it is planned for btwen 15-29 jan.

That is still not enough time to get your 80% projection there.

@ Nsiman,

Thanks for the correction


@Mikeansy,

We are not that organised. The sort of thing the govt has in mind takes years to plan and execute

Quack journalism. I wonder which one is worse, PM News or The Sun, mtcheew