Flood destroys voter enrollment machines at Edo INEC office

A massive flood that hit Edo State, on Friday, has wrecked havoc on the Edo State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benin City. 

The flood was as a result of the heavy rainfall which left several parts of Benin flooded. The incidence occurred ahead of the commencement of Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR) exercise in the state, with some of the voter enrollment machines already configured for the exercise affected. The CVR is to commence on May 27 to June 5, 2024.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed the incidence in a statement, yesterday. He said the commission received report from the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, that the INEC office in Benin was completely flooded following a torrential rainfall on Friday, May 24, 2024.  

The statement said: “Preliminary assessment shows that the heavy downpour damaged a section of the building. Movable and immovable items were submerged, including vehicles parked at the premises.

“Some of the voter enrollment machines already configured for the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) were also affected. However, the commission is delivering additional machines from neighbouring states to make up for the shortfall. We are determined to ensure that the CVR in all the 192 wards across Edo State will proceed as scheduled.  

“However, in view of the emergency situation, the state headquarters will not serve as a registration centre as planned. Instead, the exercise will take place in INEC’s Ikpoba Okha Council office at 16 Customs Road, off Benin/ Auchi Road, Benin City.”

Meanwhile, Edo State government has sympathised with the good people of the state over the impact of the flood across Benin City, as a result of heavy down pour.

The state Commissioner of Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, in a statement, said the government had deployed its officials to desilt drains and clear flood pathways in different parts of the state preparatory to the predicted flooding across flood-prone sites and lowland.

He said: “The Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) had few weeks ago warned of heavy flooding from torrential rains. We had taken the alerts seriously and embarked on responsive strategies across the state’s flood management sites, especially retention ponds and other infrastructure to limit the impact of the flooding.

“Despite these efforts, the heavy down pour of May 24, 2024, which lasted for over 15 hours, had stressed various flood flash points in the state, resulting in overflowing of the banks.

“The state’s Command and Control Centre has since been responding to emergency calls from the impact of the incident, dispatching response teams to provide support and emergency care to areas most impacted by the incident. These efforts would be sustained,” Nehikhare said.