(Gombe’I Quality Education Delivery

Plc)
RC 901769
Workshop Proposal

Topic:
Sensitizing University Communities
on the Forthcoming 2011 Electoral
Process

Sponsors: INEC Civic and

Voter Education
Department
In conjunction with GQ-
ED PLC

Introduction
2011 Electoral success is as much a must as it is our collective
responsibility. A rather long and disturbing history of electoral
failures in Nigeria necessitates a new INEC which, thankfully, the
nation now has. But, to avoid the paradigm of an old wine in a
new bottle, the new INEC (bottle) should work with (contain) a
new procedure. Thankfully again, the latter has been evolved.

A new INEC and an equally new procedure in an old mindset in

Nigeria may not successfully avoid the dreaded paradigm that
would lead to sure failure. Thus the challenge before the INEC
Voter Education Department.

This Workshop on Sensitization on 2011 Electoral procedure is

just one among other measures the INEC Voter Education
Department has conceived in rising up to the challenge of making
the new electoral process familiar and, indeed, acceptable and
workable towards attaining success, come 2011.
Background
As the Nigerian nation celebrates its Golden Jubilee, or 50th
Independence Anniversary, it finds itself, once more, poised to go
to the polls in a few months’ time for the election of a new
president and other numerous political office holders, from the
federal, state and Local Government levels. Both enemies and
friends of Nigeria would agree that Western democracy is now
established in this politically turbulent, most populous, black
African nation. However, delightful as this truism may sound, the
democratic process in Nigeria has been chequered over these past
decades by an equally long history of electoral anomalies. So, even
as we agree and even celebrate the establishment of democracy in
the country, we cannot but feel vexed about its thriving, if not
survival, in the years ahead. 2011 is a sure turning point on the
issue of thriving, if not survival, of democracy in Nigeria. It is also
the new INEC’s big challenge which it must not fail. Thus, the
towering importance of the Voter Education Department in INEC
in the preparation of grounds for success. Naturally, the
Department like the Commission would need all hands on deck,
as the saying goes, to get its goal and get it right. This explains the
need for his workshop and the role of GQ-ED Plc in this regard.

Problem Statement
What is the correct equation for electoral success in Nigeria?
Much as it may be desired, the answer to this problematic is
perhaps beyond the reach of any neat, scientific formulation.
How much do greater awareness and exposure to new skills
and manipulative strategies contribute to electoral success? It
is in anticipation of satisfying answers to the latter question
that organizers of this Workshop, confident and reassured by
experience of many similar endeavors, propose and organize
interactive sessions with underlying multiple objectives. The
latter have brought together the INEC Voter Education
Department and GQ-ED Plc to join hands in an effort to see
how much can be done towards a successful election, come
2011.

Workshop Objectives
The general objective of this Workshop is to water the grounds
for the germination of self confidence in minds in whom half a
Decade of electoral failure has cultivated skepticism and self
doubt.
Specifically, the Workshop is organized to:
- Educate stake-holders on the new electoral process INEC
will adopt for the 2011 election process
- Make an in-put in to the making of a correct and accurate
election in 2011 by exposing participants to the inner
workings of the process
- Lay a foundation for an acceptable and credible election
result in 2011.

Scope
The Workshop is targeted, for its pioneer session, at
seven University communities in the six states in the
north eastern region of the country. These universities
and their host towns are:
- Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University – Bauchi
- Adamawa State University – YOLA
- Federal University of Technology – Yola
- Gombe State University – Tudun Wada
- Taraba State University – Jalingo
- Yobe State University – Damaturu
- University of Maiduguri – Maiduguri.
Three Federal and Four State owned Universities,
1,3&7 and 2,4,5&6, respectively, will be involved in the
Workshop.

Justification
Why the University Community?
In many ways, the University communities in Gombe, Damaturu,
Maiduguri, Yola, Bauchi and Jalingo, are unique individually and
collectively, as enlightened communities from whom much is
expected in terms of guidance, assurance and models for life and
living in an increasingly globalised world. As it is to be expected, a
drop of knowledge or skill in the University community is a pool
and potential ocean in the wider community. It is also rightly
expected that, by virtue of its exclusivity, the University
commune, is the least conservative ( least corrupt?) and more
receptive of new ways which it could readily disseminate. INEC’s
decision to engage NYSC members and Final Year University
students in the Electoral process is not unconnected with this set if
facts.
By focusing on University Management and Academic Staff, this
GQ-ED Workshop hopes to maximally explore and exploit the
very best potentials available in the target societies.

Nature of Workshop
i. Resource Persons

a. Professor Saleh Abdu – Bayero University, Kano

b. Dr Abubakar Sadique – Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria
c. Y Z Yau – C I T A D Kano
d. Haj Bilkisu Yusuf
e. Alh Ibrahim Biu – INEC Abuja
f. Dr M. Kuna – INEC Abuja
g. Dr Bawa Hassan Gusau – Bayero University, Kano
 ii. Venue of Workshop
All Sessions of the Workshop will be conducted at the
General Lecture Hall, Gombe State University, Tudun
Wada, Gombe.
iii.Topics

e. The Challenge Facing INEC

f. ICT Use and Bureaucracy
g. 2011 Election and the ICT
h. Dealing with Voter Behavior
g. Some Useful ICT Programmes
iv. The Participants
These are drawn from a cross section of the senior
staff of the universities, the Academic and Management cadres,
with the aim of making the ultimate impact of the workshop
wider in the community.

Each of the seven Universities will be represented by

three (3) participants composed of one Senior
Management –preferably the Dean Student Affairs –
and two Academic Staff.
iv. Officials
v. Five GQ-ED and INEC officials each = 10
vi.Workshop Duration
Three Days with Morning and Afternoon Sessions with Lunch Break
each day.
Expected Outcome
The new Electoral process being proposed by INEC requires an
induction course, so to say, for all stakeholders in the nation. For
INEC foot-soldiers the induction is thorough and a must while the
other larger body of stakeholders, some of whom may not be
proactively involved in the procedure, the course is in form of
knowledge and awareness of the procedure. Although the latter class
of stakeholders may seem from a distance removed from the exercise,
the much sought credibility and acceptability of the election result
rests squarely with members of the group. Thus, the goal and targeted
participants of the Workshop.
In this regard, the Workshop is expected to, among other things:
- Bring about a change of attitude by all citizens towards the
election and its result
- To prepare the minds of Nigerians towards believing in the
electoral process
- To cultivate grounds for credibility and self confidence in the
process, come 2011 through practical participation by
stakeholders.
- To set an agenda for subsequent training on all matters of the
democratic process
Budget
Honorarium for N120,000 x 5 N600,000:00

5 Resource

Persons at

N120,000:00 per

person
Gombe Emerald N23,000:00 x 3 x N2, 139,000:00

Hotel Suites for 31

21 participants

and 10 officials at

N23,000 per

night
Transport for 21 N20,000 x 31 N620,000

participants & 10

officials at

N20,000:00 each
Bags and N20,000 x 31 N620,000
Stationery for 35

persons at

N20,000:00
Venue – Gombe N50,00 x 3 N150,000:00

University Hall

at N50,000 per

day for 3 days

Opening N100,000 N100,000:00

Ceremony
Production & N100,000:00 N100,000:00

Distribution of

Workshop

Communiqué’

and Report
Refreshment & N5000 x 3 x 31 N465,000:00

Lunch for 31

persons at N5000
per person for 3

days
General Logistics Batteries, N500,000:00

Allowances,

Materials,

Consumables, etc
Miscellaneous --- N500,000: 00

Total Expenses: N5,794,000:00

(Five Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety Four

Thousand Naira)

Yours Faithfully,

Barrister Bashir S. Abdu

GQ-ED Director & Legal Adviser

For Professor Saleh Abdu, GQ-ED Plc Chair and

CEO