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Scandal Hits NDC Biometric registration

Wed, 7 May 2014 Source: Al-Hajj

The aL-hAJJ’s ongoing investigations into the nationwide biometric registration exercise of the ruling National Democratic Congress have revealed how the exercise may have been fraught with financial malfeasance and embezzlement of funds.

While the exercise is said to be reeling under sever resource constrains, party sources alleged some members in charge of the exercise are lining their pockets with the little funds that the party had struggled to raise so far.

The inability of the ruling party to mobilize enough resources is said to have accounted for the delay in the exercise which was initially planned to be concluded nationwide by the end of this month.

Party sources disclose to The aL-hAJJ that members of the technical committee in charge of the project are at loggerheads over sums of money the committee said it needed to design a database for the membership of the party to aid the registration exercise.

Reports are that some members of the committee with enough knowledge in Computer Science have raised issues with the cost for the database, arguing that same job could be done with lesser amount of what has been budgeted for.

Credible information intercepted by this paper revealed how attempts to induce some dissenting members of the committee who have raised issues with the budget for the database was foiled.

According to sources all those targeted to be compromised are said to have rejected all the juicy offers and have reported the matter to the leadership of party.

The NDC is presently engaged in a nationwide biometric registration exercise to among other things know the party’s actual membership nationwide as well as its electoral strength and weakness.

Officials of the party say the biometric exercise when concluded will weed out vote-buying, manipulation and factionalism that often characterized elections at all levels.

An earlier calendar released by the party indicated that the exercise would be concluded by the end of this month, but all indications point to the fact that the committee may not conclude its work on the said date as project is still lagging behind.

A source close to the technical committee told The aL-hAJJ that the exercise had delayed because of resources constrains, adding that despite the challenges, the exercise is progressing steadily and by May 20, those in the Western region will start getting their cards.

The source said aside the Western region; materials have been dispatched to the three Northern regions and the Central region to begin the process, stating that “though we have missed the date on the calendar for the project, we will finish the exercise on time.”

Source: Al-Hajj