Tejiri Ebikeme
Delta State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Sir Isaac Ezechi has canvassed the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure strict scrutiny of those to be employed as adhoc staff to avoid recruiting people with bad character capable of engaging in malpractices in the February general election.
Sir Ezechi who spoke in Asaba when the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Elder Aniedi-Abasi Ikoiwak paid him a courtesy call in his office, said careful scrutiny of people before engaging them to handle critical assignments during the elections was necessary in order to drop those with questionable characters likely to rubbish INEC good intention for free and fair elections.
The NOA director also admonished the INEC to ensure that the recruited staff are thoroughly trained on the effective operation of the commission’s machines for the elections as well as educate them on in-depth knowledge of the rules of the elections.
He said the agency has already directed its field officers in the state to embark on massive voter education to sensitize the people at the grass root on the need to collect their voters cards as well as turn out en masse to vote for the candidates of their choice.
Sir Ezechi added that NOA is also engaged in educating the people on party symbols and finger thumb printing on ballot papers.
He assured the co-operation of the agency in the task of holding fair, free and credible elections in the state.
Earlier the REC, Elder Ikoiwak had pledged the commitment of the commission to hold free and fair elections as all necessary arrangements had been put in place.
According to him, all Deltans yet to get their permanent voters cards will receive them before the elections even as he assured of fraud-free measures already adopted by the commission to ensure smooth polling.
Towards this, the REC disclosed that accreditation of voters on election day would be done by machines that would read the PVC, determine the number on the PVC and finger print of the owner. He solicited the co-operation of NOA and all Deltans in order to ensure conduct of free and fair elections.
