Card reader technicians’ arrest won’t affect INEC – Jega

The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, on Friday assured Nigerians that adequate preparations had been made by the commission to conduct credible election across the country today.

Jega gave the assurance at a joint news conference he addressed in his Abuja office with the Director-General, National Youths Service Corps, Brig.-Gen. Bamidele Olawumi.

He allayed fears that the arrest of some workers of the firm that produced the Permanent Voter Cards by security operatives would affect INEC operations throughout the election period.

Jega said, “I received a letter from the Chairman of Act Technologies Limited, the contractor that is handling the production of the PVCs and the card readers on Thursday.”

“In the letter, he conveyed to the commission that two of his workers are under investigation and detention by the State Security Service and that the detention of the two staff, is affecting their operations in the company.”

“It is not the chairman of the company that was arrested, but his staff. As far as I know, it is not affecting our operations for the election. We have already deployed for the election so it will not affect the process.”

The INEC boss described as libelous, malicious and irresponsible, a statement credited to a political party which alleged that the commission compromised the integrity of the electoral process by awarding the contract for the production of the PVCs and card reader supply to an already blacklisted firm.

He also clarified that the commission’s technical staff were fully in charge of the card readers’ operations and that contrary to the political party’s allegation, the supplier of the card readers was not in possession of their ‘master key.’

...Punch