No Biafra Referendum without Voter’s Card – Ohanele

A non-governmental organization (NGO), Development Dynamics (DD), that over the years, train selected people from various communities in Imo State, on the electorate’s civic rights, responsibilities and contributions to good governance as well as accountability cum demand charter from their leaders, representatives and government, recently held a one-day seminar with participants drawn from communities in Orlu Local Government Area at Orlu Council Headquarters hall, where the Imo State DD Programme Director, Dr. Jude Ohanele, emphasized among other things, the significant of every adult citizen to procure permanent voter card (PVC) issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) even as he pointed out that for those clamouring for Biafra referendum to participate in such exercise, they must have their voters cards in readiness for any eventuality in this emerging world of the tough-talking Donald Trump, whose “America First” trump card sold out, his card on “Jerusalem Second” is on the table eve as “Biafra Third” is in high probability coefficient as far as the blood value of those killed at Igwe Ocha, Port Harcourt, to mark Trump’s Presidential inauguration is concerned…
such exercise, they must have their voters cards in readiness for any eventuality in this emerging world of the tough-talking Donald Trump, whose “America First” trump card sold out, his card on “Jerusalem Second” is on the table eve as “Biafra Third” is in high probability coefficient as far as the blood value of those killed at Igwe Ocha, Port Harcourt, to mark Trump’s Presidential inauguration is concerned…
The well attended seminar, where INEC representative, Mrs. Ogbonna, spoke on the commission’s ongoing voters’ registration schedule, boosted the audience confidence as Dr. Ohanele insisted that: “No people can progress better that their election. So, if you want to progress then, improve on the conduct of your election. Election is like recruitment exercise so, if you recruit poor staff or personnel then, the output of your organization will be poor. Electioneering campaign is like interview. Why you employ your governor, for instance, is for him to prepare and implement four (4) budgets. Every other thing we can do for ourselves…
“If the process of engaging our political candidates to serve us is poorly conducted then, there will be poor result afterwards.
Speaking further, the articulate Ohanele, one of the recipients of distinguished service to humanity awards from Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State Chapter during its 2017 Press Week in Owerri, posited: “INEC job is distinctly to register people of 18years of age and above for election process and prepare voter’s register… One of the reasons why people mess up government job is because people don’t watch and care about what they do in office…
“Again, poverty is not witchcraft issue. It has to do with poor governance. So, instead of pastors praying for poor masses to become rich, let them rather pray to God to remove poor governance from the governors so that they govern well and you will see poverty disappear.
More importantly, the malfunction of not bringing electoral materials early enough to the polling booths causes hiccups to the elections and its results. People need to believe in the electoral process. So, INEC doing the needful builds people’s confidence in the system.
Very important too, is for the agitators for Biafra to go and register and obtain INEC voter’s cards, because if the referendum comes then, it is only those with PVC that can participate”
Finally, the erudite Ohanele counseled INEC to
publish election results polling booth by polling booth to give the election results credibility. A proposal on this, he said, DD has forwarded to the INEC Chairman already… Concluding, the programme director warned: “Make sure you vote and make sure your vote counts. If you don’t vote, you are inadvertently allowing your unused ballot paper to be used to rig the election.
Again, don’t collect bribe from aspirants to vote them in. If do, then you are collecting your pension and when they fail to perform in office, you’ll not have the moral courage to complain to them to sit up. Whatever a man sows, he will reap.
That is what God has already settled.”
Before curtains were drawn after interactive session, the INEC representative released the ward-by-ward voter’s continuous registration schedule to the participants who where enjoined to sensitize their various communities’ members that are yet to register to get their PVCs. For a community like Owerre- Ebeiri Autonomous Community/Alaoma Owerre-Ebeiri, INEC voter’s registration in their ward comes up on March 12- 16th 2018.