by crossriverwatch admin
The Independent National Electoral Commission targets the distribution of voters card to every eligible voter in Cross River State come July 18 when the distribution of Permanent Voters Card commences in the state.
Mr. Michael Igini, the Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner who stated this in Calabar on Tuesday while inaugurating the Inter- Agency Advisory Committee on voters registration stated that the first thing the commission intends to do is to hand voters cards to all those who registered in 2011 and thereafter proceed to register those who just attained the voting age and those who had issues with their 2011 registration during the continuous voters registration exercise.
He said the Inter Agency Advisory Committee is formed with the intention of bringing in stakeholders from different fields so that adequate publicity and enlightenment campaign can be carried out to sensitize voters on their civic responsibility during elections in 2015. “Cross River State is in the second phase for the distribution of the permanent voters card and the import of the inauguration of this Inter Agency Advisory Committee is to bring together multi stake holders to help carry out civic education of their members and the public on the need to live up to their civic responsibilities”.
Mr. Igini listed the terms of reference of the committee members which include the heads of different media groups: The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, and other news papers represented in the state, local media houses like the Nigerian Chronicle, CRBC and the online medium, CrossRiverWatch.com, the NUJ, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN etc to include giving advice to the commission on effective strategies for public enlightenment on voters registration, identifying organizations that can contribute resources to voter education, assist in production of materials for voter education.
Bishop Emma Isong the Chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN said the political process and politicians in the past had always taken the electorate for granted and did everything without taking into cognizance the fact that the electorate is central in the success of the electoral process. “The electorate has always been abused, bastardized, used and dumped at the end of the day but the current process will fully empower the voters on their rights and ensure their votes count in every election”.
Mr. Dominic Kidzu, the General Manager of the Nigerian Chronicle stated that elections in Nigeria have always been fraught with many inadequacies and called for the cleansing of the system to pave way for free and credible process.
follow us on twitter @crossriverwatch
Leave feedback about this