PVC: INEC creates additional centres to fast-track collection

Chairman of the commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu,said at a separate event that INEC would place premium on the security of lives of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on electoral duties in February and March,while the Department of State Services (DSS) said it was not in court with Yakubu as being insinuated in some quarters.

Collection of PVC in designated centres in the FCT commenced yesterday and will end on January 15 after which it will revert to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

The centres include Government Secondary School Garki, Area 10, Garki Model Primary School, Lagos Street, Garki Village, LEA Primary School Asokoro, Kpaduma I, II and III, Guzape, Kobin Madaki and Kobin Sarki.

Other centres are LEA Primary School, Apo Resettlement Zone C, Apo Resettlement, Apo Mechanic Village, Wumba Village, Chachuyi Village,Dutse-Baba (Garki Area), Dakno Village, Durumi III and IV, Yayale Ahmed and Damagaza Area.

Also on the list are LEA Primary School Kabusa, LEA Primary School Lugbe, Chika, Sauka, Pyakasa, Galadimawa LEA School, Efab, Lokogoma, Sunny Vale and Sun City, Michido Estate, Kabusa Garden, Nzube Estate, Lokogoma -Dogon Gada, Penthouse, Peace Court, Amasco and Golden Spring Estates.

Under Wuse are Senior Secondary School Wuse Zone III, Maitama Model Primary School, Maitama and Wuse II,while those in Gwarinpa can collect theirs from Government Secondary School Gwarinpa, Life Camp, LEA Primary School 3rd Avenue, Gwarinpa , Gwarinpa Estate, Gishiri, Jahi, Katampe, Mab Global among others.

Election duty: INEC assures corps members of security

Receiving the Acting Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs Christy Uba, in his office yesterday in Abuja,Professor Yakubu said the commission would place premium on the security of corps members on election duties.

He described the role of corps members as the most critical in the election process.

According to the chairman, the corps members operate at the most important level of election, which is the polling unit, the only level where citizens actually vote.

“So, for that reason, we will also extend insurance cover in case of injury or other emergencies to all corps members involved in election duty,” he said.

“Working with the security agencies, we will also extend protection and security to the youth corps members’ lodges when they are deployed to the field on election days.

“This is because we have had some unhappy experiences before, when some hoodlums raided the corps members’ lodges in some places, while they were on election duty.

“So, we will continue to take whatever step that is necessary to protect and guarantee the security and welfare of the corps members.”

The chairman said the commission would continually operate within the framework of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the commission and the NYSC.

He also pledged that there would be training and retraining of the ad hoc staff, majority of who were youth corps members in the handling of election technology.

“They will be responsible for the management of the polling units, management of elections resources including sensitive materials, accreditation of voters, using the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVRS) on election days.’’

According to Yakubu, the corps members are more involved immediately the voting processes are over.

“They record the results on the result sheets.

“When all the party agents have signed, then, they will be responsible for snapping the result at that level, using the BVRS, and transmitting same in real time.’’

Yakubu said the commission was fully ready for the forthcoming general elections.

Responding, Uba expressed the NYSC’s continued readiness to partner with the commission, adding that a lot had been achieved over time.

According to her, regarding the forthcoming election, the corps members are eager, as the youths are very interested in it, and will make sure that they work hard to make things right.

She, however, said that the scheme and the commission were expected to play their roles.

We did not take INEC chairman to court, says DSS

Also yesterday,the DSS said it never went to court against the INEC Chairman.

Spokesman of the Service, Dr. Peter Afunanya, said in a statement that contrary to a newspaper report that gave the impression that the DSS was in court with the INEC boss as “it skewed what transpired at the court and reported it out of context.”

The report, Afunanya said, “ falsely left an impression that the Service went to court against the INEC Chairman.

”Nonetheless, the Service is aware of the antics of some mischievous elements who are desirous of fomenting crisis in the country, including creating unnecessary controversies around the forthcoming general elections.

“One of their strategies is to subvert the efforts of the Service in ensuring peaceful coexistence and harmony.

“Another is a determination to overheat the polity and subtly exploit the judiciary to distract or even undermine not only the Service but other security and law enforcement agencies from undertaking their constitutional roles.

”The DSS, therefore, warns these individuals and groups to desist from their devious plans. It also advises all critical stakeholders to be vigilant and resist attempts to use them to thwart the law.”

Ondo APC urges residents to collect PVCs

The Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) appealed to residents of the state to collect their PVCs before the deadline.

It reminded the people that it is only possession of PVCs that would guarantee Senator Bola Tinubu emerges as the next president of the country.

State Chairman of the party, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, who spoke in a chat with journalists, said the party was well structured across the 18 local government areas of the state.

“We have 15 executives in each of the 3,933 polling units and no party in this state can boast of this. Besides, party meetings are going on regularly from top to the unit levels,” he said.

He added:”APC is a party of the people; we are a grassroots party that cuts across all the 18 local government councils in Ondo State and we are mobilising seriously for Saturday’s rally in Akure.

“We don’t rent crowds, we give what we have and everybody will see it. We have good people behind us; we have what it takes to govern this country. 80 per cent of the political gladiators in Ondo State are in APC and what we have under the leadership of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is that we are not divided. We don’t have any issues at all.”