The Ministry of Information, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akwa Ibom State, are set to partner on sensitisation, to boost participation in the Continuous Voter Registration Exercise.
Declaring the partnership on Tuesday, September 9, when the INEC delegation visited him in his office at the ministry, the Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah underscored the importance of the civic responsibility as the heartbeat of democracy.
Rt. Hon. Umanah disclosed that prior to the visit, the Ministry had already started creating awareness via the social media, flyers and radio programmes on different stations to mobilise people for the exercise.
Also listing the engagement of towncriers as other means of sensitisation, the Commissioner informed that a forum of towncriers is mobilised across the 2,282 gazetted villages of the State, adding that religious bodies and political groups were other veritable forms of sensitising the people.
Reiterating the ministry’s willingness to collaborate with the federal agency to enlighten the public on the civic duty, the Information boss assured of adequate support for a successful exercise.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation and HOD, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Akwa Ibom State, Bukola Ojeme said they were in the ministry to seek partnership to sensitise people on the ongoing Voter Registration Exercise.
Highlighting the scope of the synergy, Ojeme said INEC needs publicity for a road show across the three senatorial districts of the State to create impact for the registration, platform to air jingles and embark on campus outreach, noting that with the data gathered so far, cyber space was a good platform to reach out to a greater percentage of the voting population.
He emphasised the need for online pre-registration before completing the process at the registration centre to avoid overcrowding, stressing that those whose cards were lost or damaged do not have to visit the registration venues, but rather, should handle such issues through an online platform, cvr.inecnig.org.
The voter registration, which started on Monday, August 25, is meant for people who have turned 18 years old but never registered before, and those whose cards were either lost, damaged or destroyed, as well as those who wish to change their polling unit.
Having a permanent voter’s card, will guarantee citizens’ participation in elections at every level, contribution on decision making and satisfaction of fulfilling a patriotic duty, while securing a brighter future for generations to come.
