From Gyang Bere, Jos
14 missing Bimodal Accreditation System (BVAS) deployed for the March 18 governorship elections in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State have been returned by the Naraguta B RACTech Officer.
The RACTech Officer in charge of Naraguta B, Mr Abubakar Husseini, told reporters on Tuesday at the Jos North INEC office, Tudun-Wada in jos that he has discovered the missing BVAS.
He said, “I am the RATech for Naraguta B, and BVAS deployed for the elections in Naraguta B are under my custody.
“There was tension and the other guys wanted to run away with the BVAS and I told them to wait and submit the BVAS only to me because they are under my custody. I took their phone number and their polling units.
“Actually, yesterday (Monday) I wanted to submit them because I went to our WhatsApp platform and I see that there was tension going on in INEC office and I said I can’t come. But I communicate with my LGA RACTech who is my superior and asked if I can come with the BVAS to the office and he said yes.”
The Naraguta B, RACTech said he was given the BVAS Sunday morning by the absconded INEC adhoc staff.
“I retrieve the 14 BVAS on Sunday morning and I kept them for safety. Because we have a WhatsApp platform together with the IPO One, I asked them to submit the BVAS to me. So, I met them(BVAS) at the RAC Centre (Government College, Jos).”
Meanwhile the Jos North Local Government Technical Supervisor RACTech Officer Mr. John Sokzen Cornelius who is a staff of INEC from the ICT Department (HOU Communication System) said that Naraguta B RACTech Officer in question only called him in the early hours of Tuesday (21st March, 2023) that he is in possession of the 13 BVAS declared missing.
“To the best of my knowledge, 14 BVAS were missing, 14 officials of 14 Polling Units (PUs) absconded with our materials including BVAS. The issue was communicated and has escalated to the National level.
“We have been waiting for the security agencies to do their work by helping us to retrieve these materials from the people. So, this morning today(Tuesday) my RACTech called me around 8am, 3 days after and said there was tension that day and they had to run away, but he has retrieve BVAS from the guys that ran away.
“I asked him why did he have to do so? Is that his business as a RACTech is supposed to be in custody of BVAS? He asked whether he should return the BVAS to the POs? and I told him whatever is his decision he should take responsibility for his actions.
“So, to the best of my knowledge, BVAS and all other materials were missing from Sunday, Monday till today Tuesday that he called. So I called the EO and narrated to him and he said I should tell him to bring it, in fact other authorities too told me to bring it and I told him to bring them,” he stated.