Business and Commercial activities are expected to witness a snail speed pace in Imo state following the closure of markets to enable traders take part in the voters Registration and collection of Permanent Voters’ Card.
According to INEC regulations, Friday 7th November is the turn of Imo state to take part in the PVC exercise.
The Imo State governor, Ovvelle Rochas Okorocha has enjoined every eligible Imo indigene and residents to participate in the TNEC Continuous Voters’ Registration exercise and collection of Permanent Voters Card scheduled for 7Lh – 17th November 2014.
Governor Okoroeha gave the directive while addressing Executive of the Community Government Councils (CGC), market associations, artisans. NGOs, as well as religious and traditional leaders in the State at the Imo International Conference Centre, Owerri. He sensitized the people on the need to participate in the Voters’ Registration and collection of Permanent Voters* Card exercise, pointing out that the State government will shut markets and shops till 1pm and declare Friday work free day to give everyone an opportunity to be part of the exercise. He however warned that communities that fail to register the required number of voters may lose their autonomous status and other benefits.
The governor expressed worries over the marginalization of Ndigbo, attributing it to nonchalant attitude of the Igbos in matters of national politics. He further regretted that instead of the over 3.5 million population of the State, only about 1.6 million is on record which he said has represented the Igbos as a minority tribe in terms of political office allocation. “We must act quickly under the present dispensation which our ugly situation points to us'”, he stressed.
On security, Ovvelle Okoroeha said that the drastic reduction in kidnapping and violent crimes in the State remains the biggest achievement of the Rescue Mission government and appealed to politicians to refrain from the use of thugs in order not truncate the existing peace in the State. He equally warned parents to guard their children against involvement in crime as government has opened Black Book to fish out criminals.
