PVC Collection: Youth Corps member to be punished for taking bribe

February 8, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Osisioma Local Government INEC Electoral Officer, Mr Chijioke Ude on Monday swore to deal with a Youth Corps member caught taking bribe from residents seeking to collect their PVCs.

Ude who was away for a meeting at Umuahia at the said time, after getting the identification of the youth corps member said he would deal with him for dragging the name of the office in the mud.

Newsmen in Aba who went to monitor the distribution of cards at the local government received complaints from residents that they were being extorted by INEC staff at the local council.

The newsmen then waited and watching for evidence, saw the youth corper collecting N200 note from a resident before giving her her PVC.

When the corper was asked if he knew he was committing an offence, he threatened the reporters and bragged that they could do nothing to him.

Mr Nnanna Nwokocha from Okpulu-Umuobo ward 10, Mrs Agwuncha Nkechinyere and Alaoma Agommuo from Umuagbai ward 8 complained of coming severally without success.

They blamed INEC for having the desire to disenfranchise them adding that they will not be happy if they were stopped from voting after making concerted efforts to vote.

At Aba South local government council, residents complained also of demand for money before their PVCs could be given to them by some staff of INEC.

Residents said they were being subjected to a very clumsy process of searching for the cards in order to force them to part with money.

Many registered voters were seen leaving the INEC premises in anger as officials kept telling them that they could not find their PVCs.

Mr Arukwe Godswill said he had visited the office four times to collect his PVC but had not received it stressing that “the distribution is slow-paced because the officials are not willing to give the cards to their owners thus causing people pain”.

In Aba North, Local government council, the Electoral Officer, Mr Chuka Achumie said the process was moving on without hitches.

He said he does not know if there would be another extension of collection date but stressed that the unclaimed cards will be returned to the INEC headquarters on Tuesday barring any changes.

At the local government, residents were seen collecting their PVCs without being asked for money although many complained of having visited the office severally without getting their PVCs.

Onwuma Sunday from Aba North expressed happiness for having collected his PVC after several days of visit and many hours of waiting, but described the process as “very clumsy and stressful”.