PVCs Collection Improves In Cross River, As Residents Relieve Experiences

THE postponement of February 2015 polls has created mixed reactions in Cross River State as people in their different views believed it was the best thing to do.

 They said the shift would give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) more time to distribute the Permanent Voters’ Card (PVCs) to eligible voters who are yet to collect. 

 Some condemned the postponement saying it was an avenue for rigging elections by some desperate politicians who by all means were trying to convince INEC not to use the PVCs.

  However, the postponement of the elections has increased the collection of PVCs in some parts of the state.

 Some INEC ad-hoc staff distributing the cards has to work every day, while some of the distribution centres do not have ad-hoc staff to attend to the voters who normally arrive early to collect their PVCs.

  Voters at some collection centres complained of being disfranchised because their fingerprints were not captured by the computer during the registration exercise, which they blamed on the ad-hoc staff who conducted the process.   

   It has been observed that some people have gone to the extent of bribing INEC officials just to get hold of their PVCs. It was gathered that some INEC staff were collecting N200 bribe from individuals who lost their TVCs as a fee to be given approval letter to collect PVCs at the collection centres.

  Mr. Emmanuel Samuel, a resident of Calabar, described his ordeal as being unfair when he was asked to pay money before he could be given a form of application clearing him to collect his PVC for misplacing his TVC.

  He lamented: “I was in INEC office this morning around 8a.m. I saw one man who asked me to go to Akim Primary School to collect my PVC having lost my TVC.  When I got there, I was asked by the Corps member to go and get an application form from INEC office clearing me to have my card.

“On getting there I was asked by the same man that attended to me in the morning to pay the sum of N200 before he can give me the form which I did. On getting back to the Corps member, she said the letter was not from his boss.

 “I am not happy because I have been here for more than three times today, I just spent N200 for something that will benefit Nigeria and they have asked me to pay money for it. Even if it was given to me today and I lost it today it is not right for them to collect money from me but I did it because I need to vote.”

   Mrs. Mildred Usang also complained of delay in the process even with the postponement of the election by INEC. She said: “I am not happy because last year I could not be registered until three months later when they did the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).   

  “I know what I went through only for me to come out today to receive it and they tell me my card cannot be found. I really wonder when all these stress will end even with the postponement of the elections. I do not care anymore and I will not bother myself coming back here again.

 “I will not condemn their work but I think they should be more proactive in the distribution of PVCs. Sometimes you hear INEC complaining that people are not coming to collect their cards. Those of us that have come out could not even get the cards. How long does it take to print cards that were registered since last year.” 

  The situation is not different in some other centres in the state as people were seen complaining about the process of collection. Those who were lucky have different stories to tell.    

  A young man who simply gave his name as Celsus said: “I think we were stressed in the past weeks as they told us that the PVCs were ready when they were not ready, but coming here today I am happy to get it because it was so fast, no stress, no hitches.

  “In my own case, I did it after the first registration in 2014 and my card is ready so I feel all the cards should be ready by now. INEC is really doing well as far as I am concerned.” 

  On her part, Mrs. Nkoyo Nkwa-Edem commended INEC for a smooth process, but advised that more hands should be added to make it smoother than what she experienced.

  “I like the process. It is going on fine, and the fact that we were made to stand on the queue is helping it to move fast. I think they need more hands here because when the crowd is more than what we are having now, one person cannot handle it all,” she added.

  On the level of preparedness of INEC ahead of the March 28 and April 11 rescheduled polls in the state, Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Okey Ezeani described the shifting of the general elections by INEC as good, stressing that it will give the electoral body ample time to address some hitches that have hampered the distribution of the PVCs across the country.

  Stressing on some of the inches facing INEC in the distribution of PVCs, Ezeani disclosed that some PVCs belonging to the electorate in the state were recently found in a consignment sent to Kebbi State.

 “My colleague in Kebbi called me and said that they found some boxes of PVCs belonging to Cross River State in Kebbi and there are similar cases regarding some states as well. These are some of the issues plaguing INEC”.

 He also disclosed that the Commission in the state was yet to take delivery of PVCs for some polling units in Yakurr, Calabar South, Calabar Municipality and Bakassi council areas.

 On the percentage of PVCs distributed so far in the state, the REC said the state has attained close to 100 per cent collection.

  “When I came to Cross River State, the percentage of collection was running between 60 and 73 per cent and after meeting with my staff, we set out a target and today we have attained 82 per cent distribution in the state.”