2015 elections: FEC approves purchase of 70,000 voters’ card readers

The Executive Council of the Federation, FEC, on Wednesday approved the purchase of 70,000 smart card readers for the 2015 election.

The readers will enable the authentication of permanent voters’ cards at polling units during the election.

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who briefed journalists after the FEC meeting referred to the readers as Permanent Voter Cards Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Readers.

He stressed the need to acquire 160,000 smart card readers to authenticate the permanent voter cards at the polling units during the 2015 general election.

“This is to ensure free, fair and credible elections’’, Mr. Maku said.

In her briefing, the Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson, disclosed that council approved a draft National Addressing Policy.

She said the policy would set out the framework for the development and implementation of the National Addressing Policy System in Nigeria.

According to Ms. Johnson, the policy would assist government to plan and implement public policies and services and fight against natural disasters and diseases, including emergency management

She said the policy would also reinforce national and international security in line with the United Nations Universal Postal Union’s Doha Declaration.

The minister said the policy would enhance fundamental steps in connecting people to public and private services, human rights and setting the foundation on which critical national policies could be built.

(NAN)