It is almost a fact that no
government institution in Nigeria can function up to 50% capability. If not,
how can you explain the situation that Nigeria is still battling and hustling
to import petrol when she is one of the largest exporter of crude oil in the
world and the largest in Africa with mega oil refineries that can sustain West
Africa? A country where billions of dollars are plunged into generation of
electricity yet every year we are still targeting 10,000 megawatts when countries
like South Africa with one third of our population can boast of 44,000
megawatts? Is it in the area of corruption? Where $20billion just disappear
from NNPC coffer without single arrest of any person. In fact, virtually all government
institutions in Nigeria are either not functioning or underperforming.
Without going into comparison of
INEC led by Prof. Jega and that of Prof. Iwu, I wish to commend present INEC
led by Prof. Jega for demonstrating that government can actually function
efficiently. Going by the current organisation displayed by INEC in the
Permanent Voters Card (PVC) distribution and ongoing Continuous Voter
Registration (CVR) in Osun and Ekiti State, INEC has proved to Nigerians that
they are capable of overcome their traditional logistic problems and organise themselves
efficiently in virtually all aspect of the exercise.
This is a litmus test that Nigeria
can really work if there is political will (kudos to Jonathan). Presently I can
proudly say that INEC is the most responsive and efficient institution of
government in Nigeria. They have risen from the slumber of logistic problems
experienced in last election in Anambra State to demonstrate that they have
learnt from their mistakes, by addressing most of the challenges they
encountered during the election in the PVC distribution and ongoing CVR in Osun
and Ekiti.
Though INEC has shown great
improvement from what we use to know, there is still much to be done. During the
PVC distribution in Ire
Town Boripe LGA Osun State, the permanent voter card was not arranged in
alphabetical order and there were not enough security men to cover the whole
polling Units at same time which meant that one security man have to cover two
to three polling units at the same time. Also in this ongoing CVR exercise, the
DDC machines in most registration units were not functioning very well and it
led to slow down in speed of voter registration in the affected units.
However INEC need to be commended for rising to the occasion
to address most traditional challenges that characterise their former exercises.
I also wish to use this medium to ginger INEC to replicate even a better result
in the coming elections; and also charge all stakeholders that contributed to
the success being recorded by INEC to not stop at this level but also do more
in the coming elections to help provide Nigerians free and fair election.
Nigerians are watching!!!
