A Nigerian businessman based in the United Kingdom, Mr. Ben Aghanya, has invented a machine that can prevent election rigging and foster the growth of democracy in Nigeria.

Demonstrating the invention to newsmen in Enugu on Thursday, Aghanya said he designed the machine to prevent a recurrence of the malpractices that characterised the last general election in the country.

According to him, the machine, christened Electro -Mechanical Voting System, relies on internally-connected 12 volts DC power and battery , making it independent of electricity supply.

He explained that EMVS was designed to eliminate the catalogue of problems associated with electoral systems in Nigeria, assuring that the machine could reduce electoral fraud to the barest minimum.

Aghanya, who is the Managing Director of Ajacin Engineering Limited, stated that he was motivated to go into research for the production of the machine by what he described as the anomaly in the nation‘s electoral system.

He said, ” I have taken part in past elections in Nigeria and I have witnessed anomalies but nobody has come out with a solution . I was particularly not happy with the way Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, was rigged out in the state in 2003. ”

Hilighting the attributes of his invention, he said that the machine has a memory which can store evidence of polling exercise for as long as possible, stressing that the essential parts are tamper-proof, a safeguard against the manipulation of evidence.

Aghanya said, ” The EMVS is secure for the following reasons: More than one person is required to control the voting process - minimizing rigging or connivance . All essential system units are locked . The machine has memory which can be stored as evidence as long as possible.”

He called on the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission to discard the old manual balloting system and adopt the machine, promising to mass produce it locally in order to provide employment for many Nigerians.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200706293273046

Methinks a machine like this is desperately needed in our electoral system.      I'm sure you'll all agree. 

it's a nice invention but that's not our problem here.
our problems are entirely based on human beings and not technology.

that machine is going to be operated by someone or a group people.

what's the assurance these people will refuse the quick cash ?

Wormy, I wish I could say I understand your post, but unfortunately, I don't. 

The guy said 'Anti-Rigging' machine. That means rigging won't be possible, so what art thou talking about?

ok let me make it simple;

will the poll result be calculated and read out to the media/public by the machine or human beings ?

*Anti-rigging i'd have preferred anti-election rigging machine; then we'll be certain there'll be a post-election rigging *

Geez, the guy said 'anti-rigging', so we need to ask him what provisions he has made for that!

Wormy, nawa for you o. It is an 'anti election Rigging' Machine.

Didn't you read the article?

I'm sure there would be provisions for the Press to monitor the results from the Machine. That's if Yar Adua adopts it anyway!

so long as this "machine" is not gonna be connected directly to my PC and mobile phones, there's big room for a rigging !

then again, can my network providers be bribed to alter information ?

Razorr:

Wormy, nawa for you o. It is an 'anti election Rigging' Machine.

so what happens to post-election rigging ?

Geez Wormy, have some faith in the country now. . .  

Besides, let's trust uncle Yar Adua a bit. Since he declared his assets yesterday, it might be a sign of good things to come.  

Wormy, Election == Pre-election + Post-election!

I'm still trying to get a picture of the machine. When I do, I'll post it.

No be human beings go operate the machine? wormedup is right. the problem is with the human factor not machines. dont ballot boxes work for other counties? If the officials are corrupt, this wonder machine wont stop them shikena!

Machine go talk im own
Prof Iwuruwuru go announce anoda tin
Dem go swear in Rigger Winner
Dem go scatter soja for town to shi any bagga wey wan protest
Life goes on. . .  

A succesful election needs a blend of human and technical factors. At least this guy has profered a technical one. 1 good thing i see in the machine (@ least from what i read) is that it can store votes as long as possible. This is good cos the loss of materials/evidence is what is stalling the election tribunals presently. Perhaps his machine needs more constructive scrutiny so it can be better. Getting elections right is a wholistic thing - technology and people.

A succesful election needs a blend of human and technical factors. At least this guy has profered a technical one. 1 good thing i see in the machine (@ least from what i read) is that it can store votes as long as possible. This is good cos the loss of materials/evidence is what is stalling the election tribunals presently. Perhaps his machine needs more constructive scrutiny so it can be better. Getting elections right is a wholistic thing - technology and people.

Thank you Initiator. Someone says something positive at last. 

initiator,

remember the time two steamers got lost
what's a ballot box compared to a ship ! ?

@topic,

No be battery the thing dey use? Need i say more?

@ wormedup the guy didnt say the machines would be shipped. He said it can be mass produced in nig.
Your cynicism is not misplaced for this is nigeria but we dont give up on the system, do we? Electoral reform encompasses constitutional review, electoral reform, THE SACK OF IWU and yes, full proof machines.

It not a machine that will make Nigeria's elections credible, but the will of the people conducting the elections itself.
As much as I will like to comend the guy on his invention, there are already machines or ordinary ballot boxes available for use. What we have missing is upright electoral and governing bodies who want to be fair in elections. This we witnessed in the sham April elections conducted by Iwu and PDP.

This is the same e-voting system that Iwuruwuru called for initially but we rejected it. So what are we now saying? This Aghanyi guy did not invent anything. He just imported it.

This type of voting must first register accurate individual identities of Nigerians through finger prints or retinal scan. In fact, I think I prefer recording it with retinal scan so that during the voting, if anybody's records are not found in the system, or the system finds the person has registered more than once, it will just burn out the person's retinae.

Now that is a real anti-rigging system. By the time one person goes blind because of double voting, everybody will straighten up. I wonder how many political thugs will agree to risk going blind for N1000 bribe.

denex:

In fact, I think I prefer recording it with retinal scan so that during the voting, if anybody's records are not found in the system, or the system finds the person has registered more than once, it will just burn out the person's retinae.

Now that is a real anti-rigging system. By the time one person goes blind because of double voting, everybody will straighten up. I wonder how many political thugs will agree to risk going blind for N1000 bribe.

LOL!! Is that how it actually works?

Invent? Don't think so.

No machine can stop rigging, in fat it will make it easier if the riggers know what to do. A simple line of code can guarantee a landslide for a particular party by increasing the votes of a party by 300 for every vote that gets to any other party.

Well sha, in a city full of blind people one eyed man na king.

Let him start watching his back.Our politicains wont be happy with this.

This is more a case of crude self promotion than anything significant.

I've said it that the only effective e-voting system must first register accurate individual identities of Nigerians using retinal scan since no 2 people have the same retinal identification. Anybody that registers twice or does not register, during the voting, if the person's records are not found in the system, or the system finds the person has registered more than once, as his eyes come near, it will just burn out the person's retinae. No long story.

When two or three have tried and tested its blinding effectiveness, rigging will reduce drastically, in fact, voting will reduce drastically. I wonder how many area boys will agree to risk going blind for any politician.

And I am very pissed at this clown you imported e-voting machines and is trying to pass them off as his invention. So he thought he was going to dazzle us?

This is a good story and should be appaulded. It might need some further advancements but is a good spirit and a good way to start.

Anti -Rigging Machine? good but who will sanction the use of the machine the same politician that wants to rig the election or we that are being rigged. If the leter is the case that makes the machine more than a perfect invention but if its the former, brodas and sistas lets forget and the inventor please try another country to market your product otherwise you are doomed.

God why am a brother to some of these people, you are all bunch of phucking pessimist, Kudos to the inventor, we  need more people like that, is very evident that if the machine could be able to retain data's for long, then it might be possible to improve it to calculate results instantly [ ie if he has not done that ], the fact that is using battery is not a problem [ for it to retain information he would have introduced a back up system or back up battery ], it could be converted to use electricity, I think the guy is thinking of on the line of power failure which is prevalent in Nigeria, people invented cash machine and today is efficient and save, this reminds of ''proda'' from Anambra state, don't you think that you are all pulling us back?.

I really admire his courage and sensitivity.

Anti-Rigging: It will only work at the polling booth.

What I see about the elections here in Nigeria is if we put boosting the figure aside, I have some couple of idea about  methods that might reduce rigging. May be it will be my project

All they can do is the usual procedure will still continue for a while because the process will never be designed soon.


First and foremost Nigerian government will need a dedicated wireless internet  (Fast internet speed @ its peak).

We need to design a machine more like the one this guy just designed.

But what will be done is just that every thumb print on the machine will instantly be uplink to the net and will instantly reflect at the office of INEC.

With this process, if anyone who has voted before tries to vote at another polling station the new machine will be alerted and it will trigger an alarm. This will deny the persons vote.

I already have the project outlined but I still need to learn more before I can start anything.


With this machine the only way that cheating might occur is after the final collation. And some adds his/her own figure to it.

And with this device it will also work for population sensors and a host of other services.


It will never come to use soonest. Hopefully it will come to pass.


If the Ministry of Technology can improve in their services it is just a thing which I or someone else will present to them and they will carry out the project. But I have been discourage once by them. S