The Government of Akwa Ibom State is seriously committed to ensuring maximum participation of indigenes and residents of the State in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration and National Identity Card enrolment. This is to ensure every eligible person in the State is duly enfranchised as well as optimal representation of the States’ population National Identity database.
Special Adviser in the Bureau of Political, Legislative and Water Resources, Barrister Ekong Sampson, stated this while undertaking an on-the-spot assessment of community response to the exercises across Local Government Areas in the State.
Speaking during the assessment tour of the INEC registration centre at Abak, the Special Adviser lauded the Transition Committee Chairman, Barrister Emmanuel Udosen, and his Committee for their effort to key into State Government programmes and expressed satisfaction at the turn out of people at the registration centres. He observed with pleasure that the Council has taken the centre stage in aligning with policies of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Barrister Ekong Sampson also commended the Transition Chairman for his vision in gathering investors to drive the economy of Abak as well as the peaceful nature of the local government area. Without peace, he added, there can be no development.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Political and Legislative Affairs also used the occasion to formerly inaugurate the Local Mobilization Committee for Abak and urged members of this Committee to work together as a team.
Barrister Ekong Sampson said he was already encouraged by the effort of the Committee in mobilizing the people of the area to turn out for the exercises, but charged them to remain tenacious towards ensuring that no indigene or resident of Abak was left out in the National Identity enrolment and no eligible voter is remains without a voter’s card.
Dr. Emmanuel Udosen, Chairman of the LG Council is also Chairman of the Local Mobilization Committee, with Hon. Imo Ibokette, Rt. Hon. Edet Isonuyo, ObongOkon Udo, Hon. Tony Udotim and Hon. Victor Morgan Etim as members.
Encouraging the public to be supportive to the committee, the Special Adviser reechoed the importance of the two exercises to every Nigerian citizen in Akwa Ibom State and to the State as a federating unit. In his words, “if you do not register, how will you have a way to add to the democracy?”
He maintained that the Bureau is carrying out massive sensitization campaigns across the 31 Local Government Areas in the state and appealed to indigenes of the community to avail themselves of the opportunity.
Responding, the Chairman, Abak Transition Committee, Barr Emmanuel Udosen said the Council is working assiduously to ensure that all eligible persons in the local government area participate in the exercise.
He said Abak has always supported the government of Akwa Ibom State and will do even more now that their own brother, Mr. MosesEkpo is the Deputy Governor of the State to.
He restated that Abak is ready to make sure Governor Udom Emmanuel succeeds himself in 2019 and maintained that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is the only party that can salvage the country from the pitiable state it has been dragged into.
INEC Electoral Officer in the local government, Mr. Nwiwere Gbenegbara had said the Commission is impressed with the response of the indigenes since the commencement of the exercise. According to him, those that register would be able to get their Cards within a three-month period. He assured the team that more machines will be made available in due time to create additional registration centres, especially in the remote parts of the local
