Barely four days to the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), disclosed that 4,695 Smart Card Readers were destroyed by fire that engulfed its Anambra State headquarters office on Tuesday, but insisted that election would hold as scheduled as it would mop up some of the spare Card Readers from other states to Anambra. The outbreak caused INEC staff to flee their offices for safety. The cause of this latest fire is yet to be ascertained.
“This is the third of such incidents in the last 12 days, following closely behind those of lsiala Ngwa and Qua’an Pan Local Government offices in Abia and Plateau States respectively,” noted a statement by Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee in Abuja.
Firefighters and security operatives arrived the scene to put out the fire which already burnt a container containing the card readers and other election materials. “While the Commission awaits the details of the latest incident, it notes with some relief that there was no fatality or injury reported. Initial assessment, however, confirms that a total of 4,695 of the Smart Card Readers were destroyed in the inferno.
“While this is no doubt a setback to our preparations for the smooth conduct of the elections in Anambra State, the Commission has taken immediate measures to ameliorate the situation, by mopping up some of the spare Card Readers from other States to deploy to Anambra State. With the steps so far taken, the Commission remains confident that the election in the state will proceed as scheduled.’’
Okoye said that in the meantime INEC had reported the incident to the Police and the Fire Service and investigations into the cause had commenced. He commended the Fire Service for its response, which according to the commission prevented the spread of the fire and averted more damage.
The latest incident continues the case of curious fire incidents at INEC offices in recent weeks. The first incident occurred in Isiala Ngwa South LGA office in Abia State on Saturday Feb. 2, while the second occurred at the Qua’an Pan LGA office of the Commission in Plateau State on Saturday Feb. 9. INEC said more than 10,000 permanent voters’ cards and 755 ballot boxes were destroyed in two fire incidents in Abia and Plateau states last week.
The Commission did not say who was responsible for the fires, but it said it had notified the Acting Inspector General of Police on the “emerging trend of burning the electoral commissions’ offices” days before the poll. Elections will go as ahead as scheduled in the affected states, the commission said, adding that it had made arrangements to print new voter cards to replace those destroyed in the fire.
“The Commission wishes to assure Nigerians that it will not succumb to the antics of an arsonist whose motive might create fear in the minds of voters and sabotage the conduct of the 2019 general elections,” noted Okoye.
Fire fighters trying to put out fire that burnt Card Reader Machines in a container at the INEC headquarters in Awka, Anambra State on Tuesday
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