INEC Deploys DDC Machines in 20 States

Despite the obstacles that have bedevilled preparations for voter registration, the Indepen-dent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seems set to press on with the exercise with the deployment of the direct data capture (DDC) machines in the states.

THISDAY learnt at the weekend that already, the commission has also deployed 2500 units of the DDC machines in Borno State , and another 1000 units in Yobe State .

An official of INEC informed the newspaper that “at least 20 out of the 36 states of the federation will receive the machines this week”.

The registration exercise, which is generally seen as the first critical step towards credible elections, has been facing legal and logistical obstacles.

Just last week, Justice Ibrahim Auta of the Federal High Court, Abuja , lifted the order stopping the award of the contract for the supply of the DDC machines following a case filed by a Nigerian company.

When the first batch of the machines arrived two weeks ago, it was discovered that some of them had been stolen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos .

Meanwhile, THISDAY has confirmed that Zinox Technology, one of the contract awardees, has so far imported over 40,000 units of the machines into the country.

This is part of the 80,000 units awarded to it by INEC at the cost of $1771.73 per set, comprising a laptop, webcam, and printer.

Also, over 2000 units of the machines have been delivered to the INEC head office at the Zambezi Crescent , Maitama, Abuja .

THISDAY reports authoritatively that the 2000 units of the DDC machines are kept at the INEC back store behind the main building.

“One of the companies that won the contract is leaving up to the details of the contract. The company has so far supplied up to 40,000 units of its 80,000 units,” the source said.

A Zinox Technology official who confirmed the deployments of the DDC machines in the states, Achika Ezuka, told THISDAY: “Indeed Zinox has commenced the delivery of the DDC machines to the INEC head office and INEC state offices.”

He said the company was initially frustrated by the court order that restrained INEC from awarding the contracts, explaining that following the vacation of the court order, the deployments of the machines in the states commenced immediately.

Ezuka confirmed that Zinox was confident that it would meet the deadline of supplying the 80,000 units of the DDC machine latest by January 5 2011, as the registration of voters is expected to commence on January 15, 2011.

When THISDAY asked him when other contractors would supply their allocations, he said that he could not say but expressed optimism that they would all beat the deadline.

According to the INEC source, the DDC machines came directly from China where the units are being assembled.Most of the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) worldwide such as Dell, Acer, Toshiba, HP, Apple, etc, get up to 95 per cent of their hardware made in China where the cost of production is considerably lower than in Europe and America.

INEC had in November this year signed the contracts with three OEMs to supply the DDC machines for the voter registration.

Haier Electrical Appliances Corporation is to supply 30,000 units at $1699.60 per unit and Avante International Techno-logy, 22,000 units at $1699.60 per unit.The first batch arrived the Lagos airport at about 1am on Monday, December 6, 2010 aboard a chattered Boeing 747 Aircraft.

Thisday Newspaper.