TABLE 1: INEC'S TRAVELING CONTRACT AWARD COMMITTEES
| S/N | COMMITTEE # | MEMBERS | COUNTRIES OF VISIT |
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|
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|
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| 1 | INEC Committee 'A' | Prof. Lai Olurode, U.F. Usman | United States and Canada |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2 | INEC Committee 'B' | Dr. Nuru Yukubu (chairman ), Mrs. G.N. Nwafor, Dr. Oniyangi, Col. M. K Hammanga, D. I. Anumba | England, Ireland |
|
|
|
|
|
| 3 | INEC Committee 'C' | Mr. Philip Umeadi, Mrs. T. Iremiren, K.N. Ukeagu | Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Lithuania |
|
|
|
|
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| 4 | INEC Committee 'D' | Dr. Ishmael Igbani, Dr. Chris Iyimoga, Prince Solomon Soyebi , Mrs. Amina Yusuf | South Africa, Asia, UAE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| INEC Committee "H for Harmonization" | Col. M. K Hammanga (Chairman) | 1. Exclude USA (presumably Canada) for distance 2. Exclude England (and presumably Ireland) for cost 3. Exclude South Africa due to bad recent history 4. Use Germany, France, Poland 5. Shortlisted 21 Companies from G/F/P |
TABLE 2: THE APPROVED CONTRACTORS/VENDORS & THEIR NIGERIAN SPONSORS/PROXIES
| S/N | Vendor | RC # | Country of Origin | Nigerian Sponsor/Proxy | Comment |
| 1 | Tip3 | ?? | Spain | Hashim Dikko | 75 million copies for the main presidential election and another 75 million copies for a run-off |
| 2 | Graphic Inline (Gi) | http://www.wampit.co.uk/Graphic-Inline-Ltd---Leicester-572913.html | UK | Sanni Lamido | Mistakenly produced ballot papers for the re-run elections; next delivery for the ballot papers would be April 12 |
| 3 | Kalamazoo | UK | Dick Jackson, a Nigerian-Briton married to a lady from Kano (or Lamido of Adamawa?) |
| |
| 4 | Aero-vote | UK | Alhaji Yerima |
| |
| 5 | SanFrano | ?? | Germany/Poland | Sanni Musa |
|
| 6 | VI Solutions | Is this the same Phase VI Solutions in the USA?
http://www.printingservicesusa.net/Directory/Printing-Services/Phase-VI-Solutions-Inc | USA | Yahaya Sani | Gi's contract re-awarded urgently to VI Solutions; Firm had gone to China to print the papers but failed to deliver on time for the April 2 elections. |
THIS DAY
Revealed: The INEC Ballot Paper Contractors, Vendors
The identities of the six firms and their facilitators contracted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to print ballot papers, result sheets and other sensitive materials for the 2011 general election were Tuesday unravelled by THISDAY.
They were Tip3, a Spanish company represented by Hashim Dikko, and Graphic Inline (Gi) with Sanni Lamido as proxy.
Also on the list were Kalamazoo, represented by Dick Jackson, a Nigerian-Briton married to a lady from Kano; Aero-vote represented by one Yerima; and SanFrano, a German/Polish company represented by Sanni Musa.
The sixth company that benefited from the printing contract was VI Solutions, sponsored by Yahaya Sani.
SanFrano, according to investigation, was the firm that went to China to print the papers but failed to deliver on time for the April 2 elections.
The six contractors received over N13 billion for the printing of the 75 million ballot papers and result sheets for each of the elections. The contracts were awarded to the companies by INEC in late February this year, according to investigation.
Going by the terms of the contract, each of the companies was expected to print 75 million ballot papers and result sheets for the elections in respect of the National Assembly, presidential, governorship and state assembly elections. The number of registered voters is 73 million.
THISDAY gathered that 75 million copies for the main presidential election and another 75 million copies for a run-off, totalling 150 millon were authorised by Jega and awarded to Tip3 Company, the Spanish firm.
It was also leant that the Nigerian partners of Tip3, having assessed the volume of work involved in their contract, made representation to the commission that given the time constraint, they could not guarantee timely delivery of the job, but INEC was said to have urged them on.
THISDAY investigation also showed that the Spanish firm being naïve about the importance of the job, went ahead to print the run-off election papers first and returned the job on the main election to INEC on March 23 with the excuse that it could no longer handle it.
Sources at the commission also revealed that the trio of Jega, his chief of staff, who also doubles as a consultant, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, and an unnamed senior Presidency official took charge of the award of the contracts for the printing of 200 million copies of the ballot papers and result sheets.
According to the source, INEC in December 2010 set up four committees to traverse the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Lithuania, South Africa, Asia and the United Arab Emirate (UAE) to search for suitable printers.
Jega, as chairman of the committee 'A', visited the United States and Canada, with Prof. Lai Olurode and U.F. Usman as members of his committee.
It was further gathered that Mr. Nuru Yukubu, chairman of committee 'B', visited England and Ireland, with Mrs. G.N. Nwafor, Dr. Oniyangi, Col. M. K Hammanga, D. I. Anumba as members of the committee.
The third committee had Mr. Philip Umeadi, Mrs. T. Iremiren and K.N. Ukeagu as members and visited Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Lithuania, while the fourth committee headed by Dr. Ishmael Igbani visited South Africa, Asia and UAE. Members of the committee included Dr. Chris Iyimoga, Prince Solomon Soyebi and Mrs. Amina Yusuf.
THISDAY gathered that trouble started when the four committees returned from their overseas assessment tour of facilities of printers of security materials and raised another committee headed by the INEC National Commissioner in Charge of Logistics, Col. M. K Hammanga, to harmonise the reports.
The harmonisation committee, in its report, recommended that the ballot papers, result sheets and other sensitive materials be printed in Germany, France and Poland.
The committee also recommended that USnd should be excluded because of distance, while England was also rejected because of high cost of printing there.
It also rejected South Africa because of the 2007 general election experience which led to the delay, as some of the sensitive election papers were still on ground during the poll.
The Hammanga committee subsequently shortlisted 21 companies and the list was submitted to Jega.
It was discovered that to the utter surprise of the committee members, INEC dumped the shortlisted companies.
"Since then, the issues on the award of the contracts for the printing of the ballot papers, the result sheets and other sensitive election materials was shrouded in secrecy. The files relating to the contracts were always kept in the office of the INEC chairman," the source said.
Graphic Inline, one of the firms that mistakenly went ahead to produce the ballot papers for the re-run elections, told INEC afterwards that its next delivery for the ballot papers would be April 12.
This development, THISDAY learnt, accounted for the firm's failure to meet the deadline and forced INEC to re-award it to another firm, V.I. Solutions.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday expressed his continued support and confidence in Jega, saying he was optimistic that he would do a good job and get the desired free and fair elections in the country this time around.
Contrary to speculations that he had lost confidence in Jega, Jonathan said he would have initiated the process for his removal from office if he had the slightest doubt that he was no longer capable of delivering the elections according to the expectations of Nigerians.
He spoke at a photo exhibition by George Esiri, a photo journalist, on his campaign trail titled: "The People's President" at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre, Abuja, where he assured Nigerians that there was no cause for alarm as they would not be disappointed.
To him, the decision of the electoral body was the best in the circumstances, adding that if they had gone ahead with the exercise, result sheets would have arrived centres very late at night which would have raised other issues and concerns.
He also asked Nigerians to see the postponement as a demonstration that the electoral body wanted to get things done the right way so that it would be obvious to all that the exercise was open and credible.
"You know that of course, if he is no longer performing well, I will communicate to the National Assembly to terminate his appointment. Until I do that, I am fully in his support and I know that he will do well,'' he said.
The president acknowledged that going for the same election at a later date was a sacrifice all Nigerians have to make to sustain democracy in spite of the cost to those who, like him, travelled to exercise their franchise before it was cancelled.
__._,_.___
PUNCH
| Six firms got N13bn for 375 million ballot papers | |||||||
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| The Independent National Electoral Commission may have spent N13bn on the printing of 375 million ballot papers and result sheets for the April elections. The contracts were awarded to six companies whose identities were revealed on Tuesday by a top INEC official. The official, who confirmed that the contracts were awarded late February, gave the names of the contractors as Tip3, a Spanish company; Graphic Inline (Gi); Kalamazoo; Aero-vote; SanFrano, a German/Polish company; and VI Solutions. He declined to say which of the six contractors defaulted in the delivery of the ballot papers. THE PUNCH learnt that INEC, in anticipation of a possible runoff in the presidential election, had ordered for two sets of ballot papers. It booked 75 million copies for the main election (presidential) and another 75 million copies for the runoff (presidential), totalling 150 million. Tip3 Company was said to have won the contract for the run-off ballot papers. For the National Assembly polls, which was shifted from April 2 to April 9, the commission ordered 75 million ballot papers and result sheets. It also placed an order for 150 million ballot papers and result sheets for both the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections. INEC had on February 5, 2011 stated that it registered 73 million voters during the last exercise in January. The commission's Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had while announcing the postponement of the National Assembly elections last Saturday, cited the late delivery of the ballot papers and other materials for the polls by some of the contractors. He also accused one of them of defaulting in the delivery of the materials. THE PUNCH learnt that Jega had in December 2010 set up four committees to scour Germany, England, the United States, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Lithuania, South Africa, Asia and the United Arab Emirates for reliable printers. The four committees had Prof. Jega as their overall chairman. The first committee, which Jega travelled with, visited Canada and the US. Other members of the committee that travelled with Jega included Prof. Lai Olurode and U.F. Usman. The second committee headed by Mr. Nuru Yakubu visited England and Ireland with four other members — Mrs. G.N. Nwafor, Dr. Oniyangi, Col. MK Hammanga and D. I. Anumba. The third committee had Mr. Philip Umeadi, Mrs. T. Iremiren and K.N. Ukeagu as members. It visited Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Lithuania. The last committee, which was headed by Dr. Ishmael Igbani, visited South Africa, Asia and UAE. Its members included Chief Solomon Soyebi, Mrs. Amina Yusuf and Dr. Chris Iyimoga. Meanwhile, a marathon meeting by INEC on Tuesday to address critical issues bearing on the conduct of the rescheduled National Assembly elections on Saturday, failed to produce results. Consequently, the commission will continue its deliberations possibly till Thursday when it will address the media on its final position. INEC's Director of Information and Public Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Imengar, told journalists who had waited all day for a news conference on the outcome of the meeting, to exercise patience and return on Thursday. Jega had met with Resident Electoral Commissioners from the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, on Tuesday to address the grey areas that led to the botched polls on April 2. The meeting began at 10am and lasted till 7pm and a scheduled press conference was expected at the end of it. According to Umenger, Jega will meet with journalists on the level of INEC's preparedness for Saturday's polls. He said, "I know some of you have been waiting here since morning in the hope that the chairman will address you after the meeting. "Far reaching decisions were reached at the meeting but the commission has decided to address you on Thursday, we regret the inability of the honourable chairman to brief you today." Also speaking on the issue, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said issues pertaining to the smooth conduct of Saturday's polls topped the agenda. He explained that far reaching decision had been taken on issues of logistics such as the transport of personnel and materials for the elections. Idowu added that the commission had not foreclosed elections in any state of the federation. According to him, "The understanding is that there are logistical problems that are to be addressed, and if for any reason there is a decision to be taken concerning constituencies, the chairman will let you know on Thursday. "What happened (at the meeting) was that the Commission has decided along with the Resident Electoral Commissioners that the election on Saturday will not have the kind of hitches that were observed. "The issue of transportation, for instance, has been addressed; the issue of supply of materials has been addressed. "And all those things will be implemented by the officers on the field those were the decisions that were taken." "Materials have been deployed to the states and those materials are there and they will be deployed to polling centres." THE PUNCH had reported exclusively on Tuesday that INEC might reschedule the April 9 polls in some senatorial districts and federal constituencies where balloting took place in the botched April 2 polls. Although details of Jega's meeting with the REC's were not made public, it was gathered that the meeting did a state-by-state analysis of what happened. It was gathered that a report from the Kaduna office indicated that "Actual voting took place in 20 out of 23 LGAs. There were (also) shortages of result sheets and voting point result sheets." The Sokoto State office of INEC lamented poor preparations for the botched polls. In Adamawa State, the report noted "the challenge of hiring vehicles for the elections. Many states asked the INEC chairman to consider shifting all the elections by one week | |||||||
--- On Wed, 4/6/11, topcrest topcrest <topcrestt@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: topcrest topcrest <topcrestt@yahoo.com>
Subject: ||NaijaObserver|| Re: [NaijaPolitics] Revealed: The INEC Ballot Paper Contractors, Vendors
To: "Dominic Ogbonna" <enyimocha@gmail.com>, NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com
Cc: NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com, NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com, asa-usa@yahoogroups.com, "IGBO WORLD FORUM IGBO WORLD FORUM" <igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com>, "OmoOdua" <OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 7:21 AM
"THISDAY investigation also showed that the Spanish firm being naïve about the importance of the job, went ahead to print the run-off election papers first and returned the job on the main election to INEC on March 23 with the excuse that it could no longer handle it...."
Folks,As Nigerians i am sure you have been carried away by the sharing of money by the hashims and Sannis without the Idowus and Oparas.However keep an eye on the above extract from the report. For whatever reasons, the materials for the run off presidential elections have been printed and DELIVEREDAre Idowu and AAAA in the house? Should we be asking questions?Joe
From: Dominic Ogbonna <enyimocha@gmail.com>
To: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com
Cc: topcrest topcrest <topcrestt@yahoo.com>; NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; asa-usa@yahoogroups.com; IGBO WORLD FORUM IGBO WORLD FORUM <igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com>; OmoOdua <OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, April 6, 2011 1:21:38 PM
Subject: Re: [NaijaPolitics] Revealed: The INEC Ballot Paper Contractors, Vendors
****Long sighhhhhhh*****
****Long shaking of the head*****
****Long scratching of the head -I hope I don't go bald*****
All these travel abroad by all these people was just to print ballot papers?
All these convoluted procedures was just to accomplish a simple task -things that countries running parliamentary systems do all the time within one month when the Government unexpectedly fails?
Is it any surprises we failed?
And am I the only one noticing the daylight Buhari-style Ethnic Nepotism that is playing out with every contract story we have so far? These people always protect their own. I will bet you all my children that Jega is in cahoots with Buhari on this election.
Make I go take a shower a jare! Somebody wake me up after Nigeria is splintered.
Dominic
On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 6:55 AM, topcrest topcrest <topcrestt@yahoo.com> wrote:
All these Hashim Dikko, Sanni Lamido Sanni Musa! I thought I will see "Idowubobo", "Opara" and "Usman" in the mix.
Some folks are caterwauling while others are proxies for 13 billion naira contracts. How can a contract issued through proxies be executed? They take their 10% and vamooseNaijaJoe
Revealed: The INEC Ballot Paper Contractors, Vendors
The identities of the six firms and their facilitators contracted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to print ballot papers, result sheets and other sensitive materials for the 2011 general election were Tuesday unravelled by THISDAY.
They were Tip3, a Spanish company represented by Hashim Dikko, and Graphic Inline (Gi) with Sanni Lamido as proxy.
Also on the list were Kalamazoo, represented by Dick Jackson, a Nigerian-Briton married to a lady from Kano; Aero-vote represented by one Yerima; and SanFrano, a German/Polish company represented by Sanni Musa.
The sixth company that benefited from the printing contract was VI Solutions, sponsored by Yahaya Sani.
SanFrano, according to investigation, was the firm that went to China to print the papers but failed to deliver on time for the April 2 elections.
The six contractors received over N13 billion for the printing of the 75 million ballot papers and result sheets for each of the elections. The contracts were awarded to the companies by INEC in late February this year, according to investigation.
Going by the terms of the contract, each of the companies was expected to print 75 million ballot papers and result sheets for the elections in respect of the National Assembly, presidential, governorship and state assembly elections. The number of registered voters is 73 million.
THISDAY gathered that 75 million copies for the main presidential election and another 75 million copies for a run-off, totalling 150 millon were authorised by Jega and awarded to Tip3 Company, the Spanish firm.
It was also leant that the Nigerian partners of Tip3, having assessed the volume of work involved in their contract, made representation to the commission that given the time constraint, they could not guarantee timely delivery of the job, but INEC was said to have urged them on.
THISDAY investigation also showed that the Spanish firm being naïve about the importance of the job, went ahead to print the run-off election papers first and returned the job on the main election to INEC on March 23 with the excuse that it could no longer handle it.
Sources at the commission also revealed that the trio of Jega, his chief of staff, who also doubles as a consultant, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, and an unnamed senior Presidency official took charge of the award of the contracts for the printing of 200 million copies of the ballot papers and result sheets.
According to the source, INEC in December 2010 set up four committees to traverse the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Lithuania, South Africa, Asia and the United Arab Emirate (UAE) to search for suitable printers.
Jega, as chairman of the committee 'A', visited the United States and Canada, with Prof. Lai Olurode and U.F. Usman as members of his committee.
It was further gathered that Mr. Nuru Yukubu, chairman of committee 'B', visited England and Ireland, with Mrs. G.N. Nwafor, Dr. Oniyangi, Col. M. K Hammanga, D. I. Anumba as members of the committee.
The third committee had Mr. Philip Umeadi, Mrs. T. Iremiren and K.N. Ukeagu as members and visited Germany, France, Poland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Lithuania, while the fourth committee headed by Dr. Ishmael Igbani visited South Africa, Asia and UAE. Members of the committee included Dr. Chris Iyimoga, Prince Solomon Soyebi and Mrs. Amina Yusuf.
THISDAY gathered that trouble started when the four committees returned from their overseas assessment tour of facilities of printers of security materials and raised another committee headed by the INEC National Commissioner in Charge of Logistics, Col. M. K Hammanga, to harmonise the reports.
The harmonisation committee, in its report, recommended that the ballot papers, result sheets and other sensitive materials be printed in Germany, France and Poland.
The committee also recommended that US should be excluded because of distance, while England was also rejected because of high cost of printing there.
It also rejected South Africa because of the 2007 general election experience which led to the delay, as some of the sensitive election papers were still on ground during the poll.
The Hammanga committee subsequently shortlisted 21 companies and the list was submitted to Jega.
It was discovered that to the utter surprise of the committee members, INEC dumped the shortlisted companies.
"Since then, the issues on the award of the contracts for the printing of the ballot papers, the result sheets and other sensitive election materials was shrouded in secrecy. The files relating to the contracts were always kept in the office of the INEC chairman," the source said.
Graphic Inline, one of the firms that mistakenly went ahead to produce the ballot papers for the re-run elections, told INEC afterwards that its next delivery for the ballot papers would be April 12.
This development, THISDAY learnt, accounted for the firm's failure to meet the deadline and forced INEC to re-award it to another firm, V.I. Solutions.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday expressed his continued support and confidence in Jega, saying he was optimistic that he would do a good job and get the desired free and fair elections in the country this time around.
Contrary to speculations that he had lost confidence in Jega, Jonathan said he would have initiated the process for his removal from office if he had the slightest doubt that he was no longer capable of delivering the elections according to the expectations of Nigerians.
He spoke at a photo exhibition by George Esiri, a photo journalist, on his campaign trail titled: "The People's President" at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre, Abuja, where he assured Nigerians that there was no cause for alarm as they would not be disappointed.
To him, the decision of the electoral body was the best in the circumstances, adding that if they had gone ahead with the exercise, result sheets would have arrived centres very late at night which would have raised other issues and concerns.
He also asked Nigerians to see the postponement as a demonstration that the electoral body wanted to get things done the right way so that it would be obvious to all that the exercise was open and credible.
"You know that of course, if he is no longer performing well, I will communicate to the National Assembly to terminate his appointment. Until I do that, I am fully in his support and I know that he will do well,'' he said.
The president acknowledged that going for the same election at a later date was a sacrifice all Nigerians have to make to sustain democracy in spite of the cost to those who, like him, travelled to exercise their franchise before it was cancelled.
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