Policemen and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps officials have turned their duties into money -spinning venture as they took to selling tally numbers to desperate residents.
PUNCH METRO discovered at LEA Primary School, Kubwa, Abuja, that policemen and NSCDS officials, who were sent there to provide security to Independent National Electoral Commission ad hoc staff, connived with some residents of the area and were selling tally numbers to people who came for the exercise.
The issuance of the tally numbers was meant to provide orderliness, but the security agents decided to cash in on the desperation of eligible voters, selling the tally number written on pieces of paper, from N50 to N300 depending on the bargaining power of each registrant.
PUNCH METRO gathered that the security agents made the numbers scarce, thus forcing many to part with money for the slips of paper in desperation.
The security personnel also closed the school gate from time to time to prevent registrants from gaining access to the centre.
It was observed that after giving the security agents some money, the registrant would register immediately. A man who was, seen squeezing some money into the pocket of a policeman to get a tally, told PUNCH METRO that he did not want to waste his time.
The man, who identified himself simply as Michael said, “It is better to part with some money instead of spending the whole day at the registration centre. I have made efforts to register at many centres in Kubwa without success.”
When contacted, spokesman of the FCT Police Command, Mr. Moshood Jimoh, said no police officer was involved in the extortion racket. ”The Kubwa Divisional Police Officer informed me that he monitored the centres and did not observe such a development,” he said.
The NSDC spokesman, Mr. Okey Emmanuel, said his organisation would investigate the incident, adding that the culprits would be severely punished when caught.
However, the quests of many Abuja residents to participate in the ongoing voter registration had led some of them to keep vigils at various centres in the Federal Capital Territory.
Investigations by PUNCH METRO in Abuja indicated that in order to beat the long queues that have continued to be the hallmark of the exercise, residents now throng registration centres as early as 1 am to beat the long queues. Some residents of Galadima gate, Gwarimpa Estate had taken to visiting the centre at the UBE Primary School, Road 6932, Gwarimpa from 1 am.
One of our correspondents who visited the school around 6 am on Tuesday, met no fewer than 38 people on a queue collecting tally numbers, which they hoped would be the basis for early registration. By 6.30 am, the number had increased to 74 persons.
A young man who identified himself simply as Chidi, claimed to have resumed at the centre by 1.am. He said that he came with his friend, who was seen sleeping on the dusty ground in front of the locked school gate.
A middle aged man, Christian, explained that he had been coming to the centre at 3 am for the past five days, yet he had not been registered, “because the officials refused to recognize the tally numbers.”
Chinedu Ani, an undergraduate of University of Abuja, who was issuing out the numbers, said he got to the centre around 2.45 am, adding that the idea of giving tally numbers was to ensure orderliness.
But all hope of an orderly process dissolved as soon as the school security man showed up around 6.45 am. The people started scrambling to be the first on the queue and in the process, many were injured.
The corps member in charge of the Direct Data Capture Machine, Taiwo Falae told PUNCH METRO that he never asked anyone to come as early as 1 am, adding that the tally numbers would not be used. ”We will only register those on the queue. The idea of tally numbers was not from us, so anyone who came early to get a tally number is just deceiving himself; we are not going to use it,” he stated.
At the UBE Primary School, 3rd Avenue, Gwarimpa Estate, there was a lot of pushing and shoving by people on the queue. A corps member said the centre had registered about 749 since the exercise commenced.
At a centre opposite the Nigeria Customs Service quarters, Karu, Abuja, about 70 prospective registrants were seen around 5 am. Most of them said they arrived at the place as early as 4am.
The first person to be given the tally number gave his name as Mahmud Jada. He said he got to the unit before 4am and had to remain there alone until another woman came to join him about 30 minutes later.
He said, “I got to this place before 4am and I have been here since then. I am the first person and I know I will be registered today.”
When the INEC officials finally arrived a few minutes after 9.00am, our correspondent observed that it took between five and seven minutes to scan fingers, while the whole process of registration took less than 10 minutes.
The ad hoc official, who spoke with PUNCHMETRO on the condition of anonymity, said they had gradually overcome the initial problems associated with the machine. He, however, added that the present challenge had to do with the registrants, who took pleasure in abusing them.
He said, ”We don‘t have any major challenge again. The initial problem with the machine has been rectified. We have been registering more people on a daily basis unlike when we just started and could not really do much.”
In Kwara state, the registration centres were still crowded as residents were eager to register. In some centres like Kulende, the machine was said to have broken down; the same thing was reported at Seriki Hausawa‘s compound, Sango.
Some of the registrants were given tally numbers, with the highest number being 1096 in the centre at Kulende. They also complained about the long distance they travelled to get to the few centres in the town.
At Saint Barnabas Primary school, Ilorin, food sellers were noticed making brisk business as residents who had been waiting to register were seen buying food from the food sellers.
In Delta State, a group, the Greater Abavo People‘s Movement, alleged that some politicians were frustrating the registration at Abavo in Ika South. The group alleged that the politicians were conniving with some INEC ad hoc officials to disenfranchise legitimate prospective voters.
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