…..collation centre, ICT, others affected
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Roofs of the Collation, the ICT Centre as well as other sensitive rooms where computers sets of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were kept in Kwara State have been blown off by rainstorm.
Already, the computer sets said to contain vital information were beaten by heavy rain as a result of the blown roofs and the extent of damages done to them could not be ascertained yet, according to sources at the INEC office.
A torrential fell in Ilorin, the state capital and other places in Kwara at the weekend which wrecked serious damages. The INEC office complex was among those affected.
INEC Head of General Administration and Procurement (GAP), Mr Friday Patrick on Monday conducted journalists round the affected buildings and offices within the complex.
During the inspection tour, the roof of the INEC car park was seen completely blown off, while one of the vehicles parked in the shed was seriously damaged.
Among other sensitive offices were Administrative Secretary’s Office, the Electoral Operations (OPS) office and the conference room whose roofs were blown off.
Speaking with journalists, Patrick; the head of General Administration and Procurement, said he came to the office on Sunday to discover that the rainstorm had damaged offices and buildings in the complex.
According to him, he had to call the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Malam Garba Attahiru-Madami to intimate him of the havoc the storm had done.
He said they have to evacuate all the laptop sets and the computers from ICT to safe rooms adding that they were yet to ascertain the level of damage to the computers because rain fell on all of them.
Speaking with journalists in his office, the REC, Attahiru-Madami described the incident as a natural disaster that was above human control.
He appealed to the national headquarters of INEC to come to the aid of Ilorin office to fix the damaged roofs and ceiling so as to prevent damages to furniture and equipments in the offices affected.
Attahiru-Madami said he had already notified the head office through the Commissioner in charge of Works and Estate in INEC stressing that he had confidence and optimism that INEC headquarters would respond to their needs in earnest.
