Residents of Abakaliki on Wednesday lauded Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi for declaring Thursday, Jan. 26 and Friday, Jan. 27, as public holidays in the state to enable civil and public servants to collect their voters cards.
A cross-section of the residents, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews, described the governor’s action as a right step in the right direction.
They added that the two-day, work-free days would enable many people who were yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to do so.
The respondents who equally commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the extension of the deadline for the exercise by eight days, urged eligible voters in the state to explore the window of opportunity provided by the governor to get their PVCs.
The residents, while reacting to the decision, noted that many, especially civil servants, did their registration in their various communities, saying that the two-day public holidays would afford them time to travel home and collect the cards.
Mr Silas Okafor, a civil servant with the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said that the public holidays would enable civil servants and teachers in private schools to travel home and collect their PVCs.
“By the action of the governor, he has demonstrated that he has the people’s best interest at heart; because many eligible voters who may not have the time to go and get the PVC due to their tight schedules in office have been offered the opportunity.
“I think what the governor has done is an indication of his commitment to fostering the nation’s democratic process and encouraging mass participation in the voting process.
“My appeal is that the people should make proper use of the opportunity to get their voter cards and be ready to vote for credible candidates during the February and March elections,” Okafor said.
Another civil servant, Dr Kalu Oji, urged the Ebonyi electorate yet to collect their PVCs to utilise the public holidays to collect their PVCs to avoid being disenfranchised.
He, however, advised political; religious, community and opinion leaders in the various Ebonyi communities to educate and sensitise their people on the importance of the PVC in the coming general elections.
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“The governor by his various actions has demonstrated that he has feelings and a listening ear; we should reciprocate the action by ensuring that no voter card is left unclaimed by their owners.
“INEC has said that votes will count in this 2023 general election and we have to be optimistic about the promise, do our part by collecting our PVCs and be ready to vote for credible leaders on election days.
“It is those who cast their votes during the election that INEC will count their votes; so, it is very important that our people are sensitised on the importance of the PVCs as the only tool for exercising their voting franchise during the election,” Oji said.
Mr Livinus Ewa, who is physically challenged, called on INEC to liaise with the relevant stakeholders in the various communities to embark on door-to-door distribution of PVCs to their owners.
He said that the strategy became imperative, given the difficulties the people were facing to go to their registration areas to collect the voter cards.
Ewa, while commending the governor for declaring public holidays to enable civil and public servants to pick their voters’ cards, called on Ebonyi workers to reciprocate the gesture by going to their registration areas to collect their PVCs.
He also called on the commission to give ‘special consideration’ to people with disabilities whenever they come to collect their PVCs by not letting them go through the stress and rigours others pass through in collecting the cards.
“The statistics of the South-East voting population as released by INEC is not encouraging and as such we, in the South-East zone must be deliberate and ensure that we come out en-masse to claim our voters cards to beef up our voting strength.
“It will be a crime against our zone in particular and Nigeria in general for any eligible voter in Ebonyi who registered during the voter registration exercise not to go and collect his or her PVC and vote during the election,” Ewa said.
Recall that INEC had in response to popular demand extended the deadline for the collection of the PVC which commenced on Dec. 5 and is slated to last for one month to end by Sunday, January 29.