THERMOCOOL, ZINOX DENY DCC MACHINES SUPPLY CONTRACTS

By NBF News

Haier Thermocool and Zinox Technologies have said they are yet to get approvals from the Independent Electoral Commission to supply Direct Data Capture Machines needed for the e-voter registration exercise by Independent National Electoral Commission.

This development came on the heels of a recent newspaper report (not THE PUNCH) that Haier Thermocool Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of PZ Cussons; Zinox Technologies Limited and a United States-based Information Communication Technology firm, Avant Technology, may have been awarded the contract to deliver 132,000 units of DDC machines to be used for voter registration, scheduled for November 1 - 14.

According to the report, Requests for Quotations were issued to the three companies on August 30, after an earlier RFQ sent to the Chinese technology firm, Lenovo, was withdrawn.

In the separate RFQs issued to the companies, according to the report, Haier Thermocool was asked to submit a quotation for 90,000 units; Zinox Technologies, 22,000 units; and Avant Technology, 20,000 units.

A source at Haier Thermocool, who asked not to be named, confirmed that the company was one of those that bid for the supply of DDC machines.

But the source, who could not confirm the exact units of the machine for which the company submitted a bid, said it was still awaiting INEC's approval, as the commission was still looking into its proposal.

According to the source, the company held two meetings with the management of INEC over its proposal but was yet to get approval for its request.

When contacted, Head, Corporate Affairs, Zinox Technologies, Mr. Echika Ezuka, said he had no information on the matter.

However, a top official of the company, who asked not to be named, noted that no company had been given a letter by INEC to supply the DDC machines.

He denied the report that Zinox had been shortlisted for the supply of the device and could not ascertain the number of units the company would be asked to supply.

He, however, noted that the decision on who would supply the DCC machines may be taken by INEC on Wednesday (today).

He said, 'No company has been given the approval to supply the DCC machines yet. Zinox has not been given any letter and I cannot say for sure that the company has been shortlisted for the contract.

Reacting on Monday, the Chief Press Secretrary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said, 'If the story is being denied, that means it is false.'

Idowu stated that the commission had been discusssing with some original equipment manufacturers. He added that the commission would soon announce the names of those selected.