The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that 4,695 Smart Card Readers were destroyed in the fire incident that occurred in its office in Awka, Anambra on Tuesday.
INEC National Commissioner, Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, confirmed this in a statement issued in Awka.
Two containers with smart card readers and other election materials had gone up in flames at the INEC office on Tuesday from causes yet to be ascertained.
The fire, was said to have started around 2.14 pm razing the entire containers before the arrival of Anambra State Fire Service.
According to Okoye, though the incident was a setback to the commission’s preparation for the smooth conduct of the elections in the state, the commission has already taken steps to mitigate the effects of the loss.
Okoye disclosed that one the measures was to mop up some of the spare card readers from other states to deploy to Anambra for smooth conduct of the general elections come Feb. 16 and March 2.
READ ALSO: Container laden with card readers burn at INEC office in Anambra
He expressed confidence that with the steps already, the election in the state would go on as scheduled.
Okoye said that the incident had been reported to the police and the Fire Service adding that investigation into the cause had begun.
The National Commissioner commended the Fire Service for its response which had prevented the spread of the fire and averting more damage to the commission’s property.
He said that there was no fatality or injury report but recalled that similar incidents had occurred in the last 12 days in Isiala Ngwa and Qua’an pan Local Governments offices in Abia and Plateau States respectively.
