via Thisday

“The much-awaited registration of voters for the 2011 polls is expected to commence late October, according to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega.

And just when Nigerians were certain that any financial issues regarding the needs of the commission had been put to rest with the release of N87.7 billion to it about two weeks ago, Jega yesterday announced that it still requires another N8 billion.

The amount, he explained to Nigerians who were only waiting for the organisation to deliver on its promised smooth conduct of the 2011 general elections, was necessitated by an unexpected cut in its budgetary allocation by that same amount.

Jega, who spoke at the recording of personality interview programme on the Voice of Nigeria, “Global Guest” at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, said the direct digital data capture (DDC) machines to be procured by INEC should be in by the second week of October and would be deployed for use in the last week of October and first week of November for the voter registration.”

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Abuja, Begin, Jega, polls, Voter