Nigerians disenchanted with INEC
By Umar Jibril Gwandu
Of the precondions for civil rule to civil rule in a democratic setting of administration is the attainment of credible voting force. It is not unknown that the number of political elites, the economic buoyancy of the bourgeoisie and ebullient souls of power struggling politicians co-operate in cajoling voters mind to relentlessly determine to elect traders believed to be of proven integrity.
It is therefore safe to say that the value attached to revalidation of voters register being the pivot and foundation upon which elections are based forecast a successful 2007 general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) we are hold, has engaged in preparatory and preliminary sessions for this seasonal job from time unnoticed. A number of adhoc staff have been recruited and were given vigorous training on the way and manner in which the exercise is expected to hold. Qualified and competent among them were deployed to various wards cutting across that local governments of the federation.
In what can be described as hail-fellow-well-met INEC in conjunction with political, religious and traditional leaders carried out massive mobilization of people on the importance of the exercise. The media made it part of its duty to cotantly remind Nigerians about the exercise. Unfortunately, Nigerians have since rendered these talks as a bunch of holcum.
Lamentable indeed, in spite of the mobilization of human resources and amount of awareness campaigns carried out for the exercise, INEC has kept Nigerians shocked with the skeletal arrangement for the work.
The expected number of computer to be used was not brought. Many local government areas with over 100 polling units do not even have the joy of seeing the machine. In some local government areas that happened to get insufficient machines out of those brought, some machines got faulty. The machines that were broken down could not be repaired at local levels with the calibre of Nigerian engineers we have. What a shame!
Even though there has been an improvement in the electric power supply, but where there is no electricity, I believe not all Nigerian towns and villages enjoy electricity, the work has to be delayed for four hours or beyond to allow the batteries be recharged again. What an embarrassment to the teeming enthusiastic voters waiting to obtain the card.
A number of calls and complaints have been registered to the INEC by Nigerians to send more of these computers so that they could exercise their civic right and not be disenfranchised.
National Assembly members who invited the INEC chairman, Prof. Maurice M. Iwu, made him to receive an avalanche of criticisms and he realised that Nigerians are dissatisfied with the speed of snail and the poise of tortoise, the commission dies for effecting charges.
With the ultimatum given for improvement, we hope the commission will come back to its senses to redress the problems. The immediate questions which answers Nigerians want to know about include: What will be the stand of general election of 2007 if the voters registration is not completed before the d-day? If computer application in the system is not possible, why not try the other means? Must we copy the system of other developed nations in all our undertakings? What is the appropriate technology for Nigerian populace and climate? Are Nigerians reluctant in discharging their constitutional rights? What will be the image of this nation in the sight of the international organisations who sponsor the programme in one way or the other?
It is high time for Nigerians to have attitudinal change and orientation in what will benefit the nation and avoid acts capable of tarnishing Nigeria’s image at the expense of the common man.

Umar Jibril Gwandu wrote in from Department of Mass Communications, Bayero University, Kano.