Nigeria Content Online

Inmates of a lepers’ colony in Borno
State have appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) to rescind its decision to nullify registration cards that have
no fingerprints.

Bulama Kadai, the new ward head of the
Maiduguri Molai Lepers’ Colony, made the plea in an interview with the
News Agency of Nigeria at the colony located 30 km from Maiduguri. Mr
Kadai said some inmates had registered for the cards without having any
finger impressions. “We are saddened by a media report credited to the
INEC Chairman, that registration without fingerprints will be
nullified. This is an infringement on the rights of lepers as most of
us have lost our fingers,’’ he said. He also complained that the
registration centre was far from the colony noting that “the population
of the colony is more than 2,000, including our dependants.

It deserves a centre,” Mr Kadai added.
But an INEC official, who wants to remain anonymous, told NAN that the
commission had taken care of the grievances of the inmates. “I can tell
you that the inmates are just ignorant of the development. INEC has
made a provision for comments by registration officers on individuals
whose fingerprints cannot be obtained on their cards’’ the official
said.