The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has announced that participation in the coming elections into its chapters in the western zone will depend greatly on the registration and possession of the association’s biometric identification cards by both the aspirants and the voters, even as the association has assured of a free and fair election.
The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has announced that participation in the coming elections into its chapters in the western zone will depend greatly on the registration and possession of the association’s biometric identification cards by both the aspirants and the voters, even as the association has assured of a free and fair election.
The Chairman of ANLCA’s Association Electoral Commission (ASECO), Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila told Shipping Position Daily correspondent in an exclusive interview that the biometrics card will enable ASECO to determine who the original members of the association are.
Alhaji Mukaila who also doubles as the Chairman of ANLCA biometric project also assured that this is the first time the association will be using the card for election purposes and that to a large extent, the biometric identification card will reduce the issue of verification logjam, delays and other complaints or even violence which have characterized past elections.
Explaining how the process will be, he said that, “with the rounding off of the biometric exercise, once you present your identification card, all I do at that point is to verify your card if you actually belong to ANLCA, we have perfected the format online, once I slot your card through the POS machine, your data, finger, signature and face will be shown, if the card is not genuine, at that point it will be rejected, this will enable me to verify, this will go a long way to correct the documentation checks at the venue of election” he assured.
Mukaila also explained that according to the new constitution of ANLCA, at the expiration of the tenure of the current chairmen of the chapters, an interim will no longer be appointed; he however assured that the power of incumbency will not come into play in the elections.
“Presently, registration of members through the biometric identification is a function of a different body which is the biometric project team, so the incumbent does not really have access to deliver registered members to ASECO, so I don’t even see the power of incumbency coming into play”, he said.
He charged all aspirants to go out enmass to convince their members to go and register with the biometric team and to also convince them to use it to vote them in.
“We currently have a level playing ground, both the challenger and the incumbent are gunning for members to come forward and register to enable them vote”, he explained.
“It is going to be very peaceful because people disagree to agree, what I believe has been the problem in the past is that the election guidelines and procedures have not been laid bare for everybody to understand, so what we have done is to make it very plain, anybody can go to ANLCA website to download ASECO guidelines and to get the requirements for contesting and get names of members of each chapter.”
Mukaila also assured that the issue of double voting will not arise because once a company votes for candidate ‘A’, that same company cannot be listed to vote in another
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