By John Oghojafor
The ongoing voters’ registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received a thumb-up as potential voters throng various registration centres in Local Government Headquarters across the state to register afresh or have their voters’ cards revalidated for those who have changed locations since the last exercise in 2014.
Speaking exclusively to The New Diplomat recently at Orerokpe, headquarters of Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday (yesterday) the Council chairman, Hon. Prince Gordon Ejinyere, noted that the exercise was going on smoothly in the area. According to him, the sensitization of people to participate in the exercise by leaders in the area was ongoing, adding that people were responding positively by going to register for their voters’ cards.
He said: “The sensitization process is on and hopefully, in the next one or two weeks, the result will be encouraging. I want to thank the Orodje in Council, HRM Orhue I, community leaders, political leaders who, irrespective of political affiliations, have motivated people to come out and register.
“The turn-out has been encouraging. So far, so good, we are impressed. We have recorded about 20,000 voters now and hopefully, within the next two weeks the result will be more encouraging.”
The Council boss called on those who have attained the age of eighteen since the last registration exercise to come out and register, even as he encouraged those who have relocated from their former voters’ units to other units, to take advantage of the ongoing exercise to revalidate their cards.
In another development, the Okpe Local Government Council chairman, Prince Ejinyere has lauded the effort of the state government for its prompt attention to address the problem of flood that affected some parts of Aghalokpe community in the Council area recently.
Fielding questions exclusively from The New Diplomat at Orerokpe recently, Prince Ejinyere expressed happiness over the prompt attention by the State Ministry of Environment, adding that it helped in curtailing the disaster that would have affected the entire Aghalokpe community.
He said: “A week or two ago, it was something else in Aghalokpe. But with what I saw today I’m impressed. I want to appreciate the governor for his prompt attention through the Ministry of Environment. For now opening of the drains and natural water ways have, to a very large extent, solved the immediate problem of flooding in the area.
“However, like Oliver Twist, we just have to ask for more from the state government that when dry season comes, it is our appeal that the drainages should be cast in concrete to offer durable drainage system. But for now, I thank the governor and the Ministry of Environment led by Hon. Barr. John Nani for their effort to curtail the flood problem in Aghalokpe.”
Meanwhile, as the Local Government election in the state is drawing close, the chairman of Okpe Local Government Council, Hon. Prince Gordon Ejinyere, has commenced consultation across the Council Area to declare his intention to contest for a second term in office.
Prince Ejinyere commenced the consultation visit to Aghalokpe and Oviri-Okpe today where he met with executives of the respective wards.
