Voter registration: Imo to shut down markets, schools, govt offices to ensure compliance.

Governor Okorocha in handshake with Mrs Serena Williams during the latter;'s visit to Govt House, Owerri today

Markets, schools and all government offices will be temporarily shut down in Imo State from 7am to 12 noon between the 13^th and 17^th of November 2014 to enable the people in the State to participate in the forthcoming voter registration exercise.

This decision was taken by the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha when the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) representative in Imo State paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Owerri today.

Speaking during the occasion, Governor Okorocha urged Imolites to ensure that they participate in the voter registeration, adding that the voters card “ represents the dividend of democracy which also empowers the electorate to decide who governs the state and the nation”

According to him, the acquisition of the voters card is compulsory for all Imolites above the age of 18 years and to that end, the State government will be declaring work-free hours from 7am to 12 noon between the 13^th and 17^th of November 2014.

He decried the attitude of Igbos towards similar exercises in the past, adding that the Igbos are erroneously regarded as being fewer in population when compared the Hausas and the Yorubas simply because they (the Igbos) fail to come out en masse to participate in such exercises.

Earlier, the resident electoral commissioner in Imo State, Mrs. Selina Oko, disclosed that (INEC) would commence distribution of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in Imo and in 12 other states of the federation.

Oko disclosed that the commission also approved Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise which commences on Thursday November 13 and end on Monday November 17, 2014.
According to her, the register will be displayed at the polling units where the distribution officer would be present from 8-00am till 4.00pm during the 3-day exercise.

She said the exercise is for those who were not up to 18 years of age during the last voter registration exercise in 2011, those who failed to register during the last exercise as well as those who registered but could not find their names on the list of registered voters.

Speaking further at the occasion, Mrs Oko said that any polling unit that failed to register up to 50 people will not be officially recognised

She advised people whose names appear in the register to go to the distribution officer at the polling units with his or her temporary voters card TVC to collect the permanent voter card.