The Benue state Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Benue state Emergency Management Agency, have concluded arrangements to allow the Internally displaced persons across Benue state exercise their franchise during the forthcoming general elections.
Speaking separately during a town hall meeting and question and answer session organized by the BBC Radio program tagged “talk your own, make Naija better” a program aimed at availing the IDPs the opportunity to ask questions on issues that bothered on the forthcoming general elections as it affected them, the resident electoral commissioner,independent electoral commission, Benue state, Nentawe expressed the readiness of his office to ensure that the displaced persons had their permanent voters cards and nobody was denied the right to vote for candidates of their choice.
Giving clarifications on a question earlier asked by an IDP from Keana local government Area of Nasarawa state, Cosmos Yange on the voting status of IDPs from other states, Nantawe said that IDPs from other states would only vote for presidential elections,but not governorship and state Assembly elections.
He told the IDPs that vote buying was a criminal act,and any body was caught in such an act would be severely dealt with under the provisions of the electoral law.
He further said that political parties were free to campaign inside the IDP Camps to wool the IDPs to vote for their candidates,assuring that adequate security was going to be provided during and after the elections at the IDP Camps.
The Executive Secretary,state Emergency Management Agency,Hon. Emmanuel Shior expressed the readiness of his Agency to collaborate with INEC to ensure a peaceful general elections in the IDP Camps.
The SEMA boss who had earlier made several efforts to ensure that all the IDPs had their permanent voters cards,said however that political parties were not allowed to hold campaign rallies inside the IDP Camps,as such a development was capable of causing violence as what took place at Daudu where ‘ IDPs were badly wounded’.
He called for the deployment of enough security personnel on the day of election so that the IDPs would not be threatened but freely exercise their franchise.
Earlier in her opening remarks,the anchor of the “talk your own,make Naija better ” Mrs Afiom Obasi said that program was meant to avail the IDPs the opportunity to ask questions on how best they could exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general elections.
The event took place at Abagena IDP pilot school.
On Wednesday, 750 victims of the Wadata inferno had converged at the headquarters of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency in Makurdi to collect their palliative packages of N40,000 each from the total sum of 3,000,000,00 given by the state government.
Speaking at the commencement of the distribution exercise,the chairman of the Wadata Market Fire Disaster Committee, Iorwuese Ligom, and state secretary of state Emergency Management agency, Emmanuel Shior both expressed appreciation to governor Samuel Ortom for responding swiftly to the Plight of the victims.
Speaking during the distribution exercise,the District Head of Madikpo, Theaddeous Aga Ande called for the relocation of the Wadata market for security reasons. He appreciated governor Samuel Ortom for his prompt response to bring succor to the victims.
