FOUR Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines have been recovered from a thick forest suspected to be a shrine in Nteje ward one, Oyi local government area. The shrine is located15 kilometers away from the community.

The machines as at the time of recovery, had not registered up to 150 names.

Daily Champion gathered that it took 30 minutes to drive on the rough road from the nearest residential area to get to the point from where the rest of the journey was made on foot for another 500 metres.

The centres are located within the vicinity of a shrine. But the registration officers, mainly corps members sat pretty, looking at the machines, with virtually no registrants in sight.

The recovery was made possible through the combined efforts of the Nigerian Police and State Security Services (SSS) in company of the Anambra state Deputy Governor, Engr Emeka Sibeudu and the Anambra state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Chukwuemeka Onukogu as well as community representatives.

The community and the REC later entered an agreement to re-locate three out of the four DDC machines to Ogwe village square. Onukogu said: "We saw and we were shocked but the units have been in existence since 1979. We signed a memorandum of understanding to relocate the four units to the Ogwe village square".

Addressing newsmen in his office yesterday, Prof Onukogu said he is extending the time of the registration by one to five days to enable 628 units/locations that have not got DDC machines up to yesterday to do their registration if the machines arrive by Wednesday morning.

He said he was under compulsion to so do even without waiting for the national extension of time because numerous threat text messages he was receiving from such areas were overwhelming.

He said: "I have heard of floating polling booths. Today I have seen one. I am sad that there are four machines wasting here, whereas there are no machines in Onitsha, Eke Awka, Ozubulu and Nnewi where thousands of people are waiting to be registered."

He apologized to the 628 units that have not received DDC machines but blamed Aventis Company for the woes as the company failed to supply the 805 DDC machines it was supposed to supply for the exercise.

He said of the three companies that supposed to supply the state with 4900 machines, Zinox and Haer Company supplied their shares of 3040 and 1145 respectively. He said once the machines arrive those areas would have their period extended as it would not end on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Ojoto Akanasato community in Idemmili yesterday protested what it called shortage/diversion of DDC machines for ward 12. The community leaders alongside youths stormed INEC office in Awka chanting anti-INEC songs.

They said out of 33 machines meant for the area only 14 are available. They said they are suspecting foul play from INEC to disenfranchise them.

In the petition addressed to INEC and endorsed by the President General of Ojoto, Ichie Tiko Okoye and the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Augustine Obidiwe and copied to Anambra state governor, the community demanded from INEC the remaining 19 machines and generating sets and to officially grant them extension to ensure that eligible voters were registered.
http://www.nigeriacurrentnews.com/four-ddc-machines-recovered-from-a-shrine/