Posted by As the time for collecting approaches, residents of Delta State have complained about the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) shoddy distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, or PVCs.
The distribution of PVCs in the local government areas of Warri South and Uvwie was observed by a DAILY POST correspondent.
The INEC office in the Warri South Local Government Area was still shut at 8:16 am, and a large number of people were seated under a canopy waiting to be helped. The office was locked up and no staff members were visible.
Engineer Felix Omogbolu, 80, stated in a conversation with the Daily Post, “I’m here to pick up my Permanent Voter Cards. When I arrived, they told me to wait and seat down since work will resume at 9:00. I’m here, waiting, and I’m sitting down because of that.
Engr. Omogbolu expressed surprise that government employees began working again at 9 am after observing that the INEC had not commenced by 8 am.
He claimed that despite numerous visits to the INEC office, no one ever helped him. He claimed, “They told the card is not ready. that we ought to cling on. However, we learned from the radio yesterday and this morning that everything is prepared and on its way, and that work will restart at 9 a.m.
According to Engr. Omogbolu, INEC is not adequately distributing or providing PVC to the satisfaction of Nigerians, and he emphasized that time is running out before the deadline.
Mr. Lucky Memuduaghan, who was at the INEC office in Warri to pick up his PVC, said the process is not promising in a conversation with our correspondent.
The staff aren’t here right now, he declared. Just now, people are lining up here.
Memuduaghan said he had visited the INEC office to collect his PVC, but the responses he got are always the same.
“They (INEC) just go about painting pictures that people don’t come to collect their Permanent Voter Cards whereas, they don’t make themselves readily available to come and go through the process for people to collect their cards unhindered,” he said.
He equally called on INEC authority to improve their services, alleging that the INEC staff may be deliberately trying to prevent Nigerians from collecting their PVCs.
“At the end of the day, they will go to the media and say people don’t come to collect their cards,” he said.
At the INEC office at Uvwie Local Government Area, staff were seen attending to people.
A 78-year-old man, Mr. Peter Itoro, commended the INEC staff for attending to them, saying they gave him preference to come inside as an elderly person to be attended to.
INEC Desk Officer for PVC Collection in Uvwie Local Government Area, Nwabuzor Dumbiri, told this medium that they resumed early in their office to attend to all eligible voters.
“This is the way we are doing it. As you can see, some people came very early and wrote their names down. So, the first thing we are doing, we allow those that came very early to come in first with the name they wrote by themselves.
“Then, if we see somebody heavily pregnant, one who is carrying a little baby, breastfeeding mothers, aged man or woman, persons with disabilities, we give them preference. Like the man sitted here now. Then, by the time we finish calling some of the names that was written early, we will open the gate, allow everyone in to stay according to their wards,” he said.
He explained that the people who have been allowed in will have to stand according to their ward, stressing that the stipulated time for the PVC Collection is from 9 am – 3 pm.
According to him, “from tomorrow 6th -15th, we will be going to ward for distribution of PVCs. No more coming to INEC office to collect their PVC till on the 22nd January 2023 when everything about PVC collection will close. Depending on if INEC may want to extend the closing date for PVC collection.”