By Adekunle Williams
Hon. S.O.B. Agunbiade, the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly has assured the Ikorodu constituents that obstacles related to the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) would be addressed to ensure smooth handling and collection.
Agunbiade made this known during the Eight Annual Constituency Stakeholders Meeting at the Lagos State University Science and Technology (formerly called Lagos State Polytechnic).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the meeting holds simultaneously in all the 40 Constituencies of the state on Thursday.
NAN reports that the theme for the stakeholders’ meeting is: “2023 General Elections: The Imperatives of Permanent Voters’ Card (PVCs).
Agunbiade, representing Ikorodu Constituency 01, added that all the difficulties highlighted by various stakeholders would certainly be tabled prior to their home of assembly for review, to fashion out options.
The lawmaker also urged eligible voters that their PVCs were ready to secure it in readiness for the forthcoming 2023 general election.
He discussed about the imperative of the PVCs, indulging his constituents to register in the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR).
The lawmaker praised his constituency for their responsiveness to matters affecting the communities.
Agunbiade was worried with the uncollected 20 million PVCs across the nation, saying that the figure would disenfranchised several Nigerians that should participate during the general election.
He commended the good work of the past governor of lagos state starting from Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Mr Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and to the current governor Babajide Sanwoolu.
The lawmaker said they had ensure job creation, employment, empowerment, waste disposal, safety and security, business opportunities and so on, in the state.
Also speaking, Mr Azeez Olushugbo, urged INEC to increase their staff strength as more residents were interested in participating in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
Olushugbo added that the officials should bring the registration closer to the people by moving around all the communities of the constituency 1, instead of staying in their office.
“I think it will be better if the officials can move around to make it easier for collection and for new registrations,” he said.
Mrs Olutoyin Aiyeleso, Ikorodu resident INEC officer said their demands could only be possible if the community provided land and built another office for their operation.
She said efforts were being put in place to move collection and registration to different communities adding that there were lots of PVCs yet to be collected by residents
“What you are requesting for can only be done if you provide space and construct another INEC office.
“The office was built by INEC and we are just members of staff, so we don’t have capacity to move our office to another place,” she said.
Also speaking, the Eweye of Isiu, Oba Olukayode David, said it was time for residents to know that they needed to have their PVCs as weapon for government’s attention for infrastructural development.
NAN reports that there was massive turn out of market men and women, artisans, traditional rulers, businessmen, educationists, security personnel, religious leaders, students. (NAN)