South East
INEC, IT Centre Building Ready In 2010
The multi-million naira building which is to house the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Back-up Registry Centre is expected to be ready by early next year.
The back up registry is an information and communication technology-driven centre where all election data of registered voters in the country as well as other sensitive documents would be stored.
Construction of the building sited in Ekeoba community land in Ohuhu, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State has been delayed due to non-payment of compensation to the landlords. However, the land has been cleared preparatory to full commencement of construction work as the site engineer of Panok Nigeria Ltd, the firm handling construction of the building, told the visiting House Committee on Electoral Matters that it has mobilised to site following the handing over of the site by the Abia State government on October 16; 2009. The contractor assured that the project which has 16 weeks duration would be completed on schedule.
Reacting, the chairman of the committee, Musa Sarkin Adar, commended both the contractor and consultant for mobilising to site without any money being released to them. He urged them to approach INEC so as to access their funds, saying that if they failed to collect the money quickly, it may be returned to the treasury.
Adar said the committee was impressed with INEC’s judicious use of funds appropriated to it.
Earlier during a courtesy call on Governor Theodore Orji, Adar said the committee was in the state as part of its oversight function, mainly to ascertain how INEC utilised funds appropriated to it in 2009 fiscal year. He said if funds were not enough, the committee would push for an increment for INEC in 2010 but would advocate reduction if not satisfied by the commission’s performance.
He said the preparations for the 2011 general elections have to start early to avert any thing that may work against the exercise.
“Ours is to ensure that all that INEC will require for the conduct of the 2011 polls are given to them on time. We are very sincerely determined to have free and fair elections in 2011,” Adar told the Secretary to the Abia State Government (SSG), Mazi Donatus Okorie, who stood in for the governor.
Responding, the SSG expressed gratitude to INEC for the siting of the INEC IT Centre in Abia and urged the Committee to ensure that Nigerians are not disenchanted with future elections. Earlier at the state office of INEC, the committee was received by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chief Jacob Nwakpa, who urged them to make good electoral laws that would assist INEC to conduct free and fair polls.
Nwakpa absolved INEC from electoral malpractices which he said were perpetrated by adhoc staff recruited for the exercise, assuring that INEC, with proper funding and staffing, was ready to conduct free and fair elections.