Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
The University of Ibadan, UI, under the leadership of its Vice Chancellor, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka is today experimenting the electronic voting system, E-voting.
The E-voting system, created by the institution’s Directorate of Information Technology and Media Service, ITeMS, is being used for the conduct of the 2019 Elections through Congregation to the Governing Council, the apex body of the institution.
With the e-voting system, eligible members of the institution would be able to vote from their laptops and computers anywhere they are without having to come and queue to vote manually for the candidate of their choice.
The ITeMS had captured the data of all eligible members of staff on the e-voting platform with each accorded individual PIN for voting.
The election which is currently on-going would end at 4pm.
The E-voting system will also be employed on July 29 to elect Senate Representatives in the Governing Council.
It will, however, be recalled that the non-academic staff of the institution commenced a one week strike action on Monday 15, July to last till today, Friday 19 July.
As a result, the union under the auspices of the Joint Action Congress of Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, JAC, wrote a letter to the commissioner of police in Oyo State.
The letter captioned, “Report on the Scheduled 2019 Congregation Election in the University of Ibadan”, which was signed by S. A. Akinremi, SSANU Chairman, A. O. Akinlade, Chairman NASU COM and M. J. Etim, NASU Chairman and dated July 18, 2019, intimated the police about their non-readiness to participate in the election.
They expressed their concern about the use of the e-voting system for the conduct of the election and also accused the university authority of going ahead with the election despite the fact that their protest is slated to be sustained till Friday 19 July, which was scheduled for the congregation election.
The letter stated, “Consequently, the unions had informed the management of the university that there is no way we can guarantee that our members would have the time and be in their best psychological state of mind for the election”.
The letter further read, “The non-teaching members of staff in NASU and SSANU have therefore been requested not to participate in the exercise”.
Responding, the institution’s Vice Chancellor, noted that congregation has the right to regulate its activities.
He said, “Congregation has defined the eligibility for membership and this has been endorsed by Council at the meeting of Friday 5th July 2019. Moreover, E-voting was approved by Congregation for the conduct of the 2019 elections. There is no threat to peace whatsoever. Please vote from 8am till 4pm tomorrow Friday 19 July”.