The people of Delta State have joined in the nationwide laments over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s inadequate Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines, incompetent ad-hoc staff and time-consuming finger print scanners for the ongoing voter registration exercise.

   In Asaba, Delta State capital, series of complains have trailed the exercise as INEC ad-hoc National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) members clamour for better equipment while potential  voters are requesting for more registration centres and workforce.

   At Uzoigwe Primary School in Asaba, the INEC ad-hoc officials had problems with the scanners and printers, which takes more than 10 to 15 minutes to register an individual .Consequently,  people complain against the concentration of over six DDC machines in one venue despite the opening of several schools for the exercise.”

     The major problem we encounter here is that of thumb printing.

    The scanner does not pick fingerprints on time and it has caused much delay, depending on the person’s finger. Some take up to 40 minutes to pick”, complained Juliet Orji, an ad-hoc worker.

  According to Tony Young Ebifade, “Some of the shortcomings of the exercise are shortage of DDC machines, poor performance of the scanners, power packs and inadequate registration centres”.  

  At Okpanam, in Oshimili North Local Government Area, a politician, Mr. Friday Jebosa alleged that “despite the very impressive turn-out of prospective voters, only four persons were registered at Unit 4 between 07am and 12 noon when the DDC machine finally packed up. We waited till 05pm when they closed.

  “INEC should urently release more DDC machines and personnel to Okpanam as a result of this exercise. As large as this community, INEC provided only two DDC machine which are quite inadequate”, he said.

   The delay, according to dependable Government House source, has made it difficult for the state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to register and regain his franchise ahead of the forthcoming general election as Governorship flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

   It had been the same thing  in the three Warri Local Government Areas of Delta State (Warri Federal constituency), as eligible voters could not register following the delay in the commencement of the exercise in the areas.

   At Koko, headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area, INEC officials and equipment did not show up, thereby causing worry among the people.

   A resident in Koko complained that, “Warri North had 38,708 during the re-run election, Warri South (58,984) and Warri South West (56,458). Over 154,150 of our people are going to be disenfranchised if care is not taken”.

 The Warri Federal Constituency’s  representatives at the House of Representatives, Mr Daniel Reyenieju, said the delay in the commencement of the exercise in his constituency despite the large turn out by the people, has created fear among eligible voters over disenfranchisement ahead of the April, 2011 general elections. 

   ”I am aghast as to why INEC has refused to effect commencement of voter’s registration in Warri Federal constituency. Could this be a ploy for an orchestrated end of ominous dimension against the prospective electorates of this constituency?” Reyenieju” questioned.

   Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, who led protesters numbering over 100 to the Warri INEC office, called on INEC to add additional three days extension to the three Warri councils to make up for the three days already lost.