Ondo state Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office has ordered for the replacement of smart card readers that recently got burnt in fire incident in the state.
INEC’s National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, said this during an appearance on News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum in Abuja on Thursday.
MDB had reported how an electricity surge set off a fire in the ICT unit of the commission in Akure, razing 5,141 smart card readers meant for October 10 governorship election in the state.
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The commission expressed that over 6,000 smart card readers from its Oyo state office have been requested for to aid smooth conduct of the election.
Okoye made this known while responding to questions on alternative plans the commission was putting in place for the Ondo election, given the destruction of smart card readers in the fire.
He noted that Ondo election is a stand-alone election, noting that the commission would move smart card readers from other states to conduct the election.
The commissioner stated;
As at today, we have given an order that all the smart card readers in Oyo state office should be moved to Ondo.
And they have over 6,000 smart card readers in Oyo and so we are not going to have any problems re-configuring them and using them for the elections.
Okoye said the commission took the decision to move the smart card readers from other states to conduct the Ondo elections because of the long duration required to purchase a smart card.
According to him, the process of ordering one smart card reader takes at least six months, hence the decision to move smart card readers from other states.
The commissioner, however, said the commission is also looking at a more secure way of storing its smart card readers to avert any further destruction of the cards given the expensive nature of the cards.
Okoye explained;
This is because these smart card readers were bought with Nigeria’s tax payers money we have a responsibility to make sure that we don’t waste the resources of this country.
But we have recovered quickly and we are proceeding with the Ondo state election, noting will stop the conduct of that election.
