Voters’ register: Lagos needs 8,465 DDC, 25,395 staff

To ensure a hitch-free compilation of fresh voters’ list in Lagos, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner of the  Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, has said that 8,465 Direct Date Capture machines are needed for the exercise.
Also the former Chaplain of the State House, Reverend Yusuf Obaje, has doubted the ability of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct free and fair elections in 2011
In a chat with Vanguard recently, Ogunmola said about 25,395 staff would be used for the exercise slated for January 2011.
He said that if 8,465 machines were deployed, each polling unit would have one machine attached it and this would eliminate the problems witnessed in the last exercise in 2006 when one machine catered for two to three polling booths.
Asked how many machines he was expecting, he said: “We have 8,465 polling units in Lagos as at now. We are not expecting anything less than 8,465 machines.”
On number staff required for the exercise, he said: “We are thinking of three per polling unit for effectiveness. In the past when we had two, one may be tired and the other may go for lunch. But with three persons, we can say that the exercise will go on throughout the designated working hours.”
On the need to create more wards and polling units in Lagos on account of the growing population, for which the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC just concluded a tour of all the local councils, Ogunmola disclosed that a proposal for 4000 additional units to increase the haul to 12,465 was awaiting approval at INEC headquarters.
“There was an exercise that was carried out by the two bodies – LASIEC and INEC before I came in. I read it in the handover note. They recommended that we should have more 4000 polling units. They made recommendations to the National Headquarters of INEC. We are still expecting the outcome,” he said.
cleric doubts INEC’s abilities
Former Chaplain of the State House, Reverend Yusuf Obaje, has doubted the ability of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct free and fair elections in 2011 on the ground that the government has not put in place the necessary structures that will ensure credible election
Reverend Obaje, who was a guest speaker at the third annual anniversary lecture organised by Providence Baptist Church, Dopemu, Lagos, maintained that if there was no room for a “new and clean” Constitution, serious political education for the masses, as well as disarming corrupt leaders and political militants, there would not be free and fair elections in Nigeria as expected by Nigerians.
He said: “There can not be free and fair elections in an atmosphere of ignorance, wickedness, violence, lack of knowledge and where corrupt people are still roaming about without any serious judgment on them.
“Also if there is no serious political education, evil will continue to strive in the country.”
The cleric also argued that rigging of elections had been the reason for past military intervention in the country. He also faulted the jumbo salary of the federal lawmakers and challenged the National Assembly to declare to Nigerians how much they collect every month.

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/voters-register-lagos-needs-8465-ddc-25395-staff/