From: Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has assured that his government would not do anything that would truncate electoral process in the build-up to the 2019 general elections.
Governor Ortom gave the assurance, on Thursday, while receiving the new resident electoral commissioner (REC), Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, at Government House in Makurdi. THe governor said his administration would partner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in 2019.
The governor who promised further that the Benue people would respect results of elections pointed out that it was the result of credible elections that brought him on board as governor.
He directed the Commissioner of a information and Orientation, Mr Lawrence Onoja, (Jr) to commence an enlightenment programme on the need for the people to participate in the ongoing voters registration exercise.
The govenor appealed to churches, traditional institutions and social groups to sensitize the people on the need for them to register, explaining that only voters cards can be used by the people to bring people of high integrity into elective offices.
He also enjoined INEC to consider the decentralization of registration so that people would not encounter transportation problems in getting registered at local government headquarters.
Ortom expressed worry that over 400,000 eligible voters in Benye state have not been registered, stressing that it was also disheartening that over 300,000 voters cards for the state were yet to be collected.
Earlier, the newly posted INEC REC, Dr. Yilwatda had promised that INEC would conduct the most credible election in Benue and explained that the problem of limited coverage by radio and television stations accounts for poor response of the people to the registration exercise.
The INEC boss told the governor that the Commission had made it possible for displaced persons to move their voting points to wherever they may be.
Yilwatda advised aggrieved persons to always use legal means to address issues relating to alleged election irregularities instead trying to destroy INEC offices or property.