Man wants to collect PVC for his dead father in Anambra state -----as over 200,000 PVC’s still uncollected in an Awka center

As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concludes its nationawide distribution of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) at polling units tomorrow, 

a man Chubuike Ndubueze from Amikwo Awka has insisted that he would collect the PVC of his late father who was buried last week reports www.odogwublog.com .

Anambra state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Edwin Nwatarali said 86 percent of the PVC’s have been collected in the state.

www.odogwublog.com reporter in Anambra inquired from him at Awka VI , RA 10 inside Government Technical College (GTC) Awka on why he is insisting, he said the card bears his father’s name and belonged to him.

Unfortunately , he did not even see his own although his name is in the list but his late father’s card was available even though the INEC Assistant Electoral Officer on duty explained to him that even a dead man has no right to a card and there is no room for proxy collection.

‘’I want to collect the PVC of my father. He died and was buried last week but I need his card because they would be doing their own election in 2019. I want to collect that of my brothers and sisters too. Why is that my own not here but that of others is are here and they are not collecting……..you people should give me my father’s card even if he is dead’’.

On his part, Nwankwo Chinedu who eventually collected his card said he has gone round for over 6 months around Awka to collect his PVC to no avail and his wife has continued to tease him and thanked God he eventually collected it to enable him vote a candidate of his choice.  

‘’I am happy that at last I have seen the card, at least no more teasing from my wife that I am not a Nigerian.

At the Awka South office of the INEC, the Electoral officer of the local government, Alhaji Ahmadu Akinwoye said he would not know the exact number of those who collected today until the officer’s return for the day but said he has 20 distribution centers in 20 wards.

‘’I can’t say there is last minute rush for collection of PVC but the people are coming to collect their cards and once your name is on the list , you collect your PVC’’.

But the www.odogwublog.com  observed there was no rush as at the time of this reporters visit but people come and go. The staff were efficient and once one could not be identified in the center , they direct the person the rightful place the person should go. Some came but could not locate their names and they were re-directed appropriately.

However, there were still over 200,000 pieces of PVC yet to be collected by their owners at the centers visited by our reporter in that ward VI with 12 poling units. The same goes for other centers.   

There was nobody when www.odogwublog.com  visited but one person came and later three others came before this reporter disappeared. The workers were just idle looking blank and discussing issues concerning them.

But , voters in Onitsha, Anambra State  are not viewing the collection of PVC’s the same way as the alleged the Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) distribution in the area was becoming worrisome as many were yet to collect their cards.
Others said they could not  get theirs due to the distance of the designated centres  from their places of residence.
A visit to three collection centres in Onitsha, Nnewi and Ekwulobia revealed disenchantment of the people as a result of the manner in which INEC was handling the distribution.

Member representing Onitsha North Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Chugbo Enwezor, urged INEC to assist in resisting the impending voter apathy by embarking on sensitization of the people on the need for them to collect their cards.

At Ward Five, Anyaegbunam centre in Inland Town Onitsha, many were yet to collect their cards as voters came in trickles to pick up their permanent voter cards, evidenced by piles of cards which were seen on the table.

One of the voters in the State, Chinenye Nnacheta, lamented her inability to collect her card which meant she would not be able to vote for her preferred candidates in the forthcoming election.

At another collection centre in Odoakpu Onitsha, few voters were also seen undergoing the process of collecting their cards but a Councilor in charge of the area complained of the distance of the collection centres to the places of residence, of the people which had led to so many of them not bothering to go and collect their PVCs.

INEC To Test-run Card Readers In Anambra

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will on today test-run its voter card reader technology at Igbo-Ukwu ward 1 in Aguata Local Council Area of Anambra.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Edwin Nwatarali, who announced this at a news conference in Awka, however stressed that the exercise was not a mock election.

“We are not conducting mock elections, it is just to test our card readers which will end at accreditation,” Nwatarali emphasized.

According to him, prospective voters will come out with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for accreditation using the card readers.

“First, we will check if the cards are that of INEC; secondly, the electorate will authenticate their finger prints to confirm that they are the true owners of the cards.

“Thirdly, if per chance anyone does not pass through the second stage electronically, there will be a manual register where your face will be checked against the card.

“After that, your index finger is inked and the exercise ends,” the commissioner explained.

He also said that there would be no ballot casting, collation of figures or declaration of result on the day.

Nwatarali explained that Igbo-Ukwu was selected because of the high level of PVC distribution in the area.

“Out of 8,033 registered voters in the area, 7,976 persons have collected their cards giving a percentage of over 90 per cent PVC collection.

“We have 47 cards not collected in the registration area and 10 cards that are being expected from Abuja.

“Again, the area has features of both urban and rural areas; there is a market in the immediate vicinity, there are high rise buildings and bungalows as well as remote areas within the ward.”

The commissioner urged all registered voters in the area to come out with their PVCs for the exercise to know how problems emanating from there could be resolved before the general elections.