Nigeria deserves transparent elections says inventor

“With my invention, Nigerians can vote anywhere around the world without hitches, as long as the federal government  invests in it,” says indigenous innovator: the founder of IKANI MEV & GIS, Egnr  Agada Sunday Ojonimi, who recently commissioned  the E-voting system. BINTA SHAMA reports.

Going down memory lane, last year’s Expo’ 2018, the Ministry of Science and Technology awarded Egnr. Ojonimi with the 3rd position for coming out with a great initiative of electronic voting system that  if implemented, would certainly put an end to election saga and  hurdles Nigeria has been faced with since inception of democracy.

The invention

I am through with the Android Data Logger where every electorate can download and vote with it. The data base has been developed which is online right now just waiting to be launched. It has been commissioned for use of mock voting, as well as to identify  those interested in restructuring, for the purpose of test-running it in order to have the knowledge of how efficient the system works.

It’s possible that the Independent National  Electoral Commission (INEC) will not want to be involved in this invention in order to use in the upcoming elections because of the time frame, but there is a need to constantly put it into practice at no cost as long as you have an Android.

 It is done at one’s convenience to see the results, to monitor the counts at interval, also the progress of the voting. It follows the same conventional way of voting system whereby you have to do your registration first which such period would be made available first for everyone to download the App. And register. After the expiry of the registration, the voting period will be declared on paper for people to cast their votes, and while that is going on, the media and other observers can also check and monitor activities which in essence generate a lot of discussion putting a lot more of confidence in the minds of Nigerians that Nigeria can run and deserves a transparent system of election and leadership.

Subsequently, what I have designed can be used in collation. For instance, in the rural areas where people do not have access to android or have the knowledge of the usage to vote, the conventional voting system can be carried out there because we will declare the number of persons that aren’t knowledgeable in the Android base and those that are knowledgeable and there would be a countdown and none of the results will outshoot the other. During the ordinary conventional voting exercise, there would also be an Android that will data log just like I told you about the project, which will be monitoring stuff from the remote area. They can data log, count to the central server automated of articulation android E-voting system.

Duration of time on the invention

Having been awarded with some incentives, I used the opportunity to finish up my invention to make it ready irrespective of any form of binding contract with the government on this note. I was also opportune to meet again with the Minister of Science and Technology when he visited my stand and I showcased the whole of my project to him and he reiterated government’s support for my work even though I have been in contact with them for their further financial support to bring my invention to the limelight because I am working seriously very hard to ensure that this invention is implemented in the system and no longer abandoned on the shelves.

Is the invention ready for use if the federal government decides to intervene now?

Yes, of course but the major challenge would be time and conviction of electorates because they will need to be confident in this by having a test run of the invention before accepting it into the system. Though it is sudden but it has the capacity to do the desired.

At what point did you finish the innovation?

Before embarking on my journey to Enugu for the Expo few weeks back, I hosted the database online that can allow us to do test running if you download the Android, it allows you to cast your vote that I launched and hosted the website this year January and it is still on till now. You can carry out any opinion poll or any mock voting right now, and so what is left is the launching like I mentioned earlier to tell the world that it is a Nigerian idea that the whole world should imbibe in.

What do you think could be their delay for the launch and the life-span of this invention?

Well first and foremost, we should realise that this invention and vision is ours that no one can take it from us as a nation and as a people, we will need to keep this dream alive, because with my invention Nigerians can vote anywhere around the world without hitches as long as the federal government invests in it. It will take a very large and selfless Administration to accept this invention because with this, I tell you leaders will work very hard to be voted into the system because of its transparency. In my opinion, every hard-working person will be appreciated and celebrated by all without buying anyone illegally to vote for him.

While on the other hand, I believe the delay could be due to funding as usual in every project one aspires for it to fly. We should have it at the back of our minds that Nigeria in diaspora can vote anywhere they are in the globe. This indeed is a global solution.

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