UNILORIN VC advocates e-voting system

THE Vice Chancellor University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has advocated for the adoption of electronic voting system in the country.

  Ambali, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services, Prof. Yisa Fakunl, at the swearing-in ceremony of the Elected Post-graduate Students’ Association (POGSASS) Executive Committee yesterday at the University of Ilorin Auditorium Basement, noted that Nigeria is ripe for e-voting. He disclosed that University of Ilorin had twice successfully used the system.
  According to him: “If a unit within a country could successful do it, there is no reason why the country cannot. If they have any problem, they can come and understudy how we do it at UNILORIN.
  There are no challenges. It is very simple. You have your name and your voters’ registration number, all of them are going to be uploaded. You are the only one that has the card. Your card is different from my own. So, when you open the portal, the way we did it here, we log it with our names and our pin numbers which we created ourselves and then there is ‘yes’ or ‘no’ against the names of the contestants. Nobody can do it for you. You are the only one that you can vote.
  “INEC can come and see how we do it and see the one that is applicable to them. With the amount or resources we have in this country electricity should not be a problem. If electricity is required, they can provide it at least during the time voting is in process”, he said.
  Meanwhile, the Proprietor and Founder of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Abdulraheem Oladimeji, yesterday said the survival of industries in Nigeria was becoming difficult by the day due to poor economic planning, saying industrialisation policies in Nigeria without adequate provisions of social infrastructure would fail. 
  Oladimeji, who spoke yesterday in Ilorin during a press conference marking the 10th-year of the establishment of the university, said the only legacy presently thriving in the country remained education, just as he alleged that the number of distressing companies in Nigeria was becoming a bad omen for any healthy economy, adding that only a fraudulent investor in business in Nigeria could presently break even in his business.
  According to him: “Lack of proper and adequate social infrastructure in Nigeria is leading to premature closure of many industries in Nigeria. Purchase of diesel alone is enough reason to ground any company irrespective of its yearly turn over.
  “Therefore, the only place to invest now is in the field of education. If we invest more in education, social vices will reduce in this country. An educated fellow will not allow himself to be used as thugs and miscreants. Besides, while your children can sell off your property after death, they cannot have value for the marketing of your certificate.”
  The Dean of Post-graduate School, Prof. C.O Bewaji, said it was the first time POGSASS election was conducted by electronic voting process, admonishing the in-coming POGSASS executives to work harmoniously with the legislature during the short tenure. It is not how long that matters but how well you are able to deliver what you promised the electorate.”
  The out-going President, Mr. Adebola Olalekan, highlighted some of the achievements of the out-going executive administration, which includes championing of the e-voting system for the POGSASS’ Election, review of the constitution, reduction of hike in tuition fees and host of others.
  He said: “Nigeria is ripe for e-voting. If at this level of the university the micro part of the country we can embark on it and it is successful, the country can do it. The e-voting was peaceful.  You have to be there during the period. The result is easier to
collate. If the leaders can consider this, I think it will go a long
way to help Nigeria. Indeed, Nigeria is ripe for e-voting system.”
  Oladimeji, who put the present figure of privately-owned universities in the country at 56, said he would continue to invest in the education sector just as he believed that more private universities were still needed for the spread of academic knowledge across the nation.
  The proprietor, while speaking on the importance of operating a multi campus university system, said apart from the campus of Al-Hikma at Igbaja in Ifelodun Local Council of the state, he had allegedly received an offer of about 300,000 hectares of land in an undisclosed area of Niger State to be used as another satellite campus of the university.
  He urged Nigerian politicians and voters to embrace the fear of God ahead of this year’s general elections for the smooth conduct of the exercise.

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