Human Rights activist and public affairs analyst, Evangelist Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme has urged Anambrarians and Nigerians to spare no efforts in ensuring that they obtain their permanent voter’s card, PVCs, that will enable them participate during 2023 elections.
Ezekwueme made the call on Wednesday, while speaking in Awka, during a public lecture with the civil society organizations and citizens, geared towards mobilization and sensitization of citizens to properly utilize opportunity provided by INEC for disbursement of PVCs to registrants.
The lecture had as its theme “Your voter’s card is your power to enthrone good leaders and governance.”
According to the rights activist, it is constitutional responsibility of every citizen to participate in the electoral process, every election cycle, once they have reached 18yrs and above.
He insisted that criticizing governments, political leaders and government officials is not enough, adding that there is also need for courageous and patriotic efforts to vote in charismatic God-fearing servant leaders.
“According to Edmund Burke, the reason why we are being governed as fools is because good people sit back and do nothing.
“Pertinently, your voter card is the greatest legitimate weapon to reject bad leaders and vote in selfless, competent, patriotic and capable leaders with over-arching desire to reform, redeem, rescue and transform our country for the better.
“Silence means consent. If bad leaders emerge due to your apathy, indifference and nonchalant attitude, you not only consented to the evil, but are also the cause of our problems and not the solution,” he said.
Ezekwueme regretted that the political class, civil society organizations, the religious, traditional and market leaders are not doing enough and living up to expectations in mobilizing the citizenry to participate in the electoral process.
He said; “Our people are docile followers due to ignorance and lack of understanding of the importance of power.
“Government determines the socio-economic life of every nation, hence the need for our people to jettison their lukewarm attitude towards politics.”
The Civil Liberty Organisation boss further appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to device pragmatic measures for effective distribution of the PVCs to registrants, that will be less cumbersome, but attractive to registered voters.
He urged the Commission to do more to remove bottlenecks and other stringent conditions and difficulties encountered by registrants in collecting PVCs, especially the demand for gratifications by its staff, which has discouraged many registrants.
Ezekwueme also called for the devolution of the distribution of the PVCs to the ward levels early enough, to ensure that they are collected.
“INEC, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Civil Society Organisations, CSOs and religious leaders should intensify their mobilization and sensitization efforts to ensure that every registered voter collects his voter card before 2023 general election.
“Let us unite and work assiduously towards peaceful, harmonious and successful conduct of 2023 general election,” Ezekwueme posited.
