Work Free Day: Lagos residents turn out at PVC collection centres

Many Lagos residents on Friday took advantage of the work-free day declared in the state to seek their Permanent Voter Cards at collection centres in the state.

Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria who monitored the exercise observed that eligible voters were at various centres seeking their cards.

Adeyemi Adebayo, a private school teacher, told NAN at the Lagos Mainland Local Government Ward 9, located at St. Agnes Primary School, Yaba that he had initially given up on the card.

Adebayo said that before now, he had made several efforts to get his PVC without any positive results.

He said: “I registered last year.

“I had even given up on it after several attempts.

“I just tried today and I got it without stress.

“This is a relief.”

Ibiyemi Bolaji, a trader who picked up her card at Ward 10, located at the Onike Girls Junior High School, Iwaya, in the same local government, said: “I am very happy.

“We have relocated to Ikorodu.

“I and my husband came all the way from Ikorodu for this card.

“Thank God we both got it.

“It is a success.”

Also speaking at the same ward, Olumilua Abosede, a civil servant, said she did not spend much time at the centre to collect her PVC.

“I think it is good that it was made easier,” Abosede said.

NAN reports that many residents of Ojokoro Housing Estate in Ifako/Ijaye Local Government Area, also turned out in large numbers to collect their PVCs.

Many people were seen at the two polling units located within the estate, trying to get their cards.

Some people who were unable to get their cards were told to come back as they would be available before the Sunday deadline for collection.

At Ward E, Polling Unit 10, Funmi Horlicks, a resident of the Estate, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, for the improvement in the exercise in the area.

Horlicks also thanked the state government for the holiday.

She said: “We had initially lost hope, thinking that we will be dis-enfranchised in this estate, but kudos to INEC for the improvement and also to the state government for today’s public holiday.”

At Unit 018, Ward 09, Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area, Olaide Akinsolugba, a teacher, told NAN that some people in the area had yet to collect their cards because they were going to the wrong places.

Akinsolugba called on all stakeholders to join hands to create more awareness on where exactly the people should go for their cards.

Taiwo Oladipupo, a civil servant, also told NAN at Ward G, Unit 032 (CASSO) in Alimosho Local Government Area that many people were still going to the local government office of INEC instead of the polling units.

Oladipupo urged INEC to provide public address system for its ad-hoc staff to move round and create awareness to the residents

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission in Lagos State urged eligible voters to also take advantage of the weekend to collect their Permanent Voter Cards at their polling units.

The Commission’s Public Relations Officers in Lagos, Femi Akinbiyi, spoke in an interview with NAN in Lagos.

Akinbiyi commended the Lagos State Government for declaring Friday a work-free day, which provided the opportunity for civil servants who would have been busy at work to go and pick their PVCs.

Akinbiyi said after the holiday, people still had Saturday and Sunday to go to their polling units to get their cards.

The INEC spokesman said with the movement of the cards to polling units, there had been a rise in the number collected.

“I am urging the eligible voters in Lagos who have not collected their cards to please go for them,” he said.