THE Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Corporation on Thursday disagreed on the involvement of the corporation in the printing of election materials for the April general elections.
While the electoral body in Kaduna State said election in the state might be delayed because the materials for the conduct of the polls were yet to be delivered by NSPMC, the printing corporation said it was not undertaking any job for INEC.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Kaduna State, Alhaji Halilu Tambuwal, had disclosed at a joint news conference between the commission and the Kaduna State Police Command that the ballot papers meant for the conduct of the polls in the state were still being printed by the NSPMC.
But the NSPMC denied printing election materials for INEC, saying that despite proposals made by the company to be involved in the process, the electoral umpire had not contacted it in the election process.
Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Ehi Okoyomon, while addressing journalists in Abuja also denied media reports that it had beefed up security in its offices because it was involved in the printing of election materials.
He said that the company submitted proposals and followed same with an expression of interest to INEC in September last year for the printing of ballot papers but never got any response from the commission.
He said, “The newspaper report that published that we have beefed up security because we are printing election materials is completely false and misleading. So, it becomes very important for us to say that as at today, the NSPMC is not printing any ballot paper for INEC and anybody that published this information is spreading the wrong information.
“We have not been approached by INEC to print its ballot papers. INEC has its statutory responsibility to organize elections for this country and we are not printing any ballot papers, not even for INEC or any politician.
“But if INEC desires that we should print its ballot papers or supply security documents at all given our expertise in the business, then we will be prepared to do that, but as at this moment, nothing has happened.
“We are a high security printing company and we have printed cheque books, share certificates, currencies and we have indeed printed ballot papers in the past but as it is, we are not doing it for them.”
On the proposal submitted to INEC for the printing of ballot papers, he said, “We submitted a proposal for the printing of ballot papers to INEC in September 2010, and we also did an expression of interest which was followed up with series of meetings with INEC; they promised to get back to us and up till this moment, we have not received any formal invitation from INEC to help them secure ballot papers but if they do, we will assist them. But it is only INEC that is in the best position to say why we are not selected.”
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We did not print any ballot papers for INEC- Nigerian Mint
We did not print any ballot papers for INEC- Nigerian Mint
NigerianEye
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Friday, April 08, 2011
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