Governor Willie Obiano has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to step up and put necessary measures in place to hasten the process of registration in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise across the state.
Governor Obiano made the call when he monitored the exercise in some Local Government areas across the three Senatorial Districts of the state.
Among the Council areas where the governor monitored the exercise include Orumba North and Aguata Council areas in Anambra South Senatorial District, Anaocha and Awka South in Anambra Central and Oyi and Onitsha North in Anambra North District.
Most of the centres visited registered massive turnout of people but with very slow registration process as the people complained bitterly about the exercise.
Speaking at Ekwulobia, Governor Obiano who observed that the registration process was rather very slow, said he is communicating with the INEC office to see how the process can speed up, urging the people who turned out to register, to be patient and conduct themselves in orderly manner.
Commending the enthusiasm of the people to participate in the exercise, Governor Obiano explained that the State government declared the two day public holidays to ensure that the people especially civil servants participate.
Sympathizing with the people, Governor Obiano promised that the State government will provide canopies and seats as well as water to make the people more comfortable during the exercise.
At Awka South INEC headquarters, Amawbia, Governor Obiano called on INEC to step down the exercise to ward level and also extend the time for daily registration.
Also at Amawbia, a Civil Society Advocate and accredited observer for the exercise, Prince Chris Azor described as totally unacceptable, a development where only twenty one Direct Data Capturing Machines will be deployed to serve the entire three hundred and twenty six wards in the state, since registration ends by 3pm daily, noting that the people can only have confidence in the electoral system when the INEC shows genuine commitment towards their responsibility.
Some Civil servants who came to register at Awka South, Mr Emeka Ogbuagu and Mr Sunday Okafor, while complaining they came very early to register but all to no avail, described the exercise as a total sham.
Others who spoke to the ABS thanked Governor Obiano for giving the workfree days to enable them participate in the exercise but expressed concern that what the INEC is doing is capable of undermining the governor’s good intentions.
The CVR exercise which commenced on the 27th of last month is expected to run till 2019 but with quarterly breaks during which evaluation reports and appraisals will be made for increased impact going forward.
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