PVC: Ilorin residents lament slow registration process

By Matthew Denis
What seems to be frustration by the people can be better described as the situations that has trailed the registration process of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the ongoing voters card registration exercise in Ilorin, National Pilot can report.
A visit by this medium to one of the voters registration centres in Ipata-Oloje, Ilorin West Local Government Area showed that the electorates who stormed the office in hundreds to be registered were mostly left standing during the process for hours on queue.
It was gathered that only two data capturing machines were used for the exercise and the people who came to register for the first time were turned back and told to come Mondays which is now the only day designated for collation of names.
Speaking to some of the participants who have been frustrated over the situation, a resident of Omoda, Mrs. Ramat Aliyu said this was her second time of visiting the INEC office without being successful in conducting the registration.
She said “I initially visited the office on Wednesday but was asked to come back on Monday as the only day that they register for new persons.
“I patiently returned and they wrote our names that they will be calling us in accordance to the list available here. To our surprise we have been standing all through as INEC failed to provide a place for us to sit and wait till our names are being called for the registration.
Another resident, Mallam Qudus Olarotimi said “the INEC staff have failed to take the voters welfare in their operations adding that they have been here since morning and they yet to attend to them.
“One of the staff who was registering people just stopped at exactly 2pm that he has registered about 50 people and he said he is tired for the day”, he added.
A pregnant woman, Mrs. Monica Ekele who was sitting on the floor of the centre lamented that she is frustrated over the whole situation.
According to her, it was persistent disturbance from her husband that pushed her to come to register for the voters card.
Reacting to the development on telephone, the Public Relations Officer of INEC office Ilorin, Barr. Jacob Ayanda said “the office is aware of the situation causing delay in the registration process.
“We have two registration machines in each centre in Kwara state. We have just added another machine in Ilorin West that is faster and the battery last longer than other existing ones.
“This is to complement the existing machines because people are complaining of delay in the registration process.
On the allegation that its only Monday that name are written, Ayanda submitted that it is true.
He said “In order to ensure smooth registration process considering the population of people coming to the office they capture their names on Monday. If they are captured and assuming those that wrote their names are over 100 people and there is no way to register them on the system in a day. They are being asked to go and return in line with the list on ground.
He called on the public to exercise patients with the process as the commission intends to capture all potential electorates.