The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has ordered for deployment of more voter registration machines to some centres in Edo, for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
Yakubu said on Thursday in Benin, when he visited some of the registration centres in the state to access the ongoing exercise.
He lauded the massive turnout of the registration at different centres in the state, and assured of doing everything possible to make the process seamless.
Speaking at the registration centre located Western Boys Secondary School, Ward 2, Ikpoba Okha LGA, Yakubu directed that two additional machines and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), should be mobilised to the centre.
“The most important thing is for us to expedite the process. So what we have decided now is that tomorrow there will be two additional machines to this centre, to make it five machines.
“There are two queues. One is for registration, the other one is for transfer and collection of cards. So they are going to reorganise the queues. But I’ve seen the numbers here, and one of the solutions is to increase the number of machines to this centre,” he said.
Also at the INEC Ikpoba Okha LGA Office, Yakubu directed that additional registration machines should be deployed to the centre.
He also monitored the exercise at Eweka Primary School in Use Ward 3, Egor LGA.
Yakubu warned staff of the commission against demanding for money before registering people who presented themselves for the exercise.
On observation that some political parties were trying to hijack the exercise in favour of their supporters, Yakubu said that the commission would be meeting with the state commissioner of Police and other security agencies in the state to address the concern.
“My message consistently is that all the staff engaged in the registration, whether they are ad hoc staff or regular staff, should know that no one should collect money from any Nigerian who comes to register or transfer or request for replacement of cards.
“This is a service paid for by the Federal Government and it must be respected. Where we catch any staff involved in this act, that staff will be dealt with, whether the staff is regular staff or ad hoc staff,” Yakubu said.
Earlier, some of the prospective registrants on the queue commended INEC for the exercise and urged the commission to mobilise more registration machine to fast-track the registration process.
Mrs Sliver Angela and Mr Oluwasegun Oketoki told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the registration centre located at INEC Ikpoba Okha LGA Office, that they came out as early as 5a. m., to register and called for deployment of more machines to the centre.
“Most of us came here since 5.30. The machine was not working fast.
“The INEC staff are trying to coordinate us but some of us are pushing to boycott the line. That is what is delaying us. Now they are attending to us and everything is going on smoothly.
“If there is any alternative to bring additional machines, let INEC do so,” Angela said.
Mrs Blessings Uwagwe at Eweka Primary School, also complained about the delay in the process and the need for more machines to be deployed as more people are coming out to register.
Mr Oransaiye Nicolas, said initially one machine was deployed to the centre, but following their complaints, additional two machines were mobilised to the centre.
Nicolas commended Yakubu for directing that additional machines should be deployed to the centre.
Meanwhile, an INEC ad hoc Staff, Mr Oladele Emmanuel,deployed for the registration at the centre said he had no challenge with functionality of the registration machines. (NAN)
