Smart Nigerians

An undisclosed number of the Direct Data Capture machines ordered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been stolen from the cargo section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The remaining machines, some of which carry the tags of the Saudi Airlines Cargo with airway bill number 06584662572, were sighted at the National Aviation Handling Company premises yesterday. The contractor was identified as Zinox Nigeria Limited.

At the scene, Custom officials and staff of the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria were seen monitoring the movement of the remaining machines to the tarmac. When asked why, one of the officials who was in mufti and refused to identify himself replied, “we are asked to return them or what do you want to know?” The missing machines had led the authority to stop further clearing of other consignments.

According to clearing agents at the scene, officials of the State Security Services came to the place early in the morning to arrest the Customs Officer in charge of operation who was simply identified as W. Waziri and some other officials who were on night duty when the machines arrived the country.

Porous security

“It is not a new thing, but this must be from above,” one airport official said, adding, “Who needs such things (DDC machines) if not the politicians? So many things use to go missing here and I cannot blame anybody for that. The equipment to offload them from the aircraft are not many. So due to that, they sometimes allow the clearing agents and some individuals to go into the place, especially that place from the tarmac (pointing at the gate that linked a warehouse called Shed 4 to the tarmac) to find their goods.”

According to an official of one of the companies involved in the importation of the data capturing machines, the theft is not such a shock. He said, ”that is Nigeria for you. It is not only DDC. I heard they stole some PHCN equipment also.”

He blamed the lax security in the airport and the cargo section for the theft, observing that many people who had no business entering the place are allowed to loiter there aimlessly.

However, he said as far as the company is concerned, the consignments are still with the Customs and clearing agencies and have not been handed over to the company, “they are still at the airport. I learnt it was at the clearing point in the airport that they learnt that some equipment have been tampered with inside the shed of FAAN.’’

In a telephone interview, Kayode Idowu, the spokesman to the chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission described the news that some of the data machines have disappeared as “a bizarre piece of fiction.”

According to him, “I think somebody is playing games with fiction. Only a while ago, somebody called me to say some ballot boxes have been stolen and now this. The truth of the matter is that it is a bizarre piece of fiction. It is not true.”

Silence rules

The State Security Service whose officials were said to have come from Abuja to make some arrests refused to talk. Marilyn Ogar its spokesperson did not respond to both calls and text messages sent to her. She later told the reporter to call her this morning as she was busy in a meeting.

An e-mail to Jamil S. Zamzami, the spokesperson of the airline that brought in the cargo also went unanswered. However, airport officials who spoke to NEXT on condition of anonymity said there was no doubt that the disappearance occurred on Nigeria soil.

Although other sources said the missing items were ballot boxes, Mr Idowu described this as untrue. He said, “How could ballot boxes have been stolen? The contracts were just awarded just last week. How can it be that they are in the country already? You need to ask questions.”

Expensive equipment

Firms contracted for the manufacturing and supply of the DDC Machines include Zinox Technologies Ltd. which is to supply 80,000 units at $1, 771. 73 per unit; Messrs Haier Electrical Appliances Corp Ltd, which is to supply 30,000 units at $1, 699. 60 per unit; and Avante International Technology Inc., expected to supply 22,000 units at $1, 699. 60 per unit.

The total unit costs of the 132 units stand at about $230m, inclusive of all taxes and charges.

Already, the commission had embarked on the training of its staff that would in turn train the ad-hoc staff to be engaged for the exercise, which will be mainly Youth corps members.

The contract for the supply of about 150,000 pieces of the collapsible ballot boxes for the sum of N1.95 billion has been associated with controversies since it was awarded by Mr. Jega.

Just last week a law suit brought against INEC, the Federal Government of Nigeria and four others by Beddings Holdings Limited, was thrown out by an Abuja High Court. The plaintiff claimed he has the patent for the collapsible boxes, and has filed a new action asking that he be paid 50% of the total sum of the contracts.