Seadogs condemn delay in registration, PVC collection

‘Sensitise voters on importance of PVC’
National Association of Seadogs (NAS), a.k.a. Pyrates Confraternity, has condemned the delay encountered by eligible voters in registering and/or collecting their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) in Cross River State.

During a street sensitisation march in Marian Market and environs, in line with its #OurVotesCount campaign on PVC registration and collection at the weekend, the Calabar municipality chapter of NAS urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to open registration centres in markets to ease the process.

The campaign was to draw the people’s attention to the August 31 extension deadline for registration, encouraging the traders who said they had lost hope in the process to take advantage of it.

A trader at the market, Chidi Okoro, who was frustrated with the exercise, said: “I have gone to INEC office twice to attempt to register, but it was never successful because of the slow process. Tens of persons would be in the queue for several hours without movement. I had to retire to my shop twice because of the frustrating registration process.”

Another trader, Mrs. Udeme Akpan, told NAS officials that she had not attempted to register because of the negative complaints from those who had made attempt.

INEC said that over 100,000 PVCs had yet to be collected in the state.

President of NAS, Calabar chapter, A.M. Peter, yesterday called on INEC and the state government to increase sensitisation campaign on PVC.

Meanwhile, the Abuja chapter of NAS has charged Nigerians to take the issue of PVC collection seriously.

During its Citizenship Awareness Campaign in Abuja at the weekend, national public secretary of the Seadogs, John Okey, said the #OurVotesCount campaign was aimed at educating the electorate on the usefulness of the over 35 million PVCs yet to be collected.