NUJ President Tasks INEC
National President of Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Alhaji Mohammed Garba, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to retrain most of its ad-hoc staff who are not too familiar with the Direct Data Capture, DDC, machines and other equipment imported for the on-going voter registration exercise.
Garba, who spoke in Kano this evening while registering at one of the units in Kano Government House, said the inefficiency of most of the INEC ad-hoc staff is slowing the progress of the exercise.
The NUJ president, who also the chairman of Media Monitoring Committee on the exercise, also frowned at the malfunctioning of the DDC, urging INEC to take urgent steps to fix or replace the machines so as to beat time and ensure that all Nigerians of voting age participate in the process.
He urged Media practitioners to participate effectively in the exercise to enable them ensure credible elections in April.
He noted that “if you are talking of democracy in the country, you must include journalists. Because we fought to ensure the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria, and we are now fighting seriously to ensure that we sustain it.
“If we are talking of accountability and good governance, the only tool you have is to obtain the voter’s card that will enable you elect good leaders in the coming general elections.â€
Garba then called on all journalists and other Nigerians to go and register so that they can to vote for the leaders of their choice.
He, however, observed that the hitches that greeted the exercise at the beginning are gradually reducing, and urged Nigerians to exercise patience with INEC officials, over the slow pace of the process.
On whether there is need to extend the closing date for the exercise, the NUJ chief noted that it is too early to consider such option since the exercise is barely five days old.
By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano
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