Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Delta State, have expressed worry over the poor turnout of people to their office for the collection of their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).
Checks at the INEC headquarters located at Okpanam in Oshimili North Local Government Area, last week, revealed a very quiet environment as offices were open but visitors were neither at the gate nor the premises of the Commission.
When this reporter demanded to know why there were no crowd as it was months ago, she was told that action had shifted to Local Government Headquarters where people were expected to visit for the collection of their PVCs as well as lodge complaints, if any.
A visit to INEC office located behind Oshimili South Local Council Headquarters, revealed a very lonely atmosphere right from the gate to the offices. Workers were seen in their offices, sitting patiently, waiting for those who would come and collect their PVCs but you could only see one person visit in a whole hour.
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Three staff seen on duty lamented: “Majority of those who registered for the PVCs last year are yet to come and collect their cards. What are they waiting for? Please, tell them to come now rather than waiting for the last minutes’ rush (November/December).”
They said that some people who registered from January to June this year have been coming for collection of their PVCs but were being told to come back October/November which is the time the cards are billed to be out for collection.
The officials spoke on condition of annonymity as they hadn’t the approval from their boss to speak.
“As far as you registered this year, your cards are not ready but all PVCs registered in 2021 are ready,” they said.
Cards from January this year to June 31 will be ready for collection in October; and the last batch will be ready November, that is, people who registered during the extension period, they explained.
They called for the sensitisation of the citizens so that there would not be an upsurge when people begin to rush at the same time, and to avoid the complaint of not being attended to.
