Voter’s Card, Governors And Salaries

In order to secure total compliance by Nigerians with the just-concluded voter registration exercise, some state governors as well as churches threatened not to pay salaries to workers and to prevent church members who failed to register from taking Holy Communion respectively.

Sequel to the threats, observers have taken a look at the citizen’s civic responsibilities and the constitutionality of the threats.

Some of them recounted how in previous years, voter registration exercise was smooth and free from encumbrances. But the one conducted this year, which ought to have gone without hindrances because of the direct data capture machines (DDC) used for the exercise, was fraught with all manner of difficulties.

In a post-voter registration chat with The Tide, some persons who participated in the operation, commented freely on its worthwhile-ness as well as the threats by some state governments to make it a condition to pay workers’ salaries at the end of February.

“I wouldn’t have come out at all, but for the circular from the Rivers State Government to civil servants directing them to submit their voter’s card on or before February 15th, failure of which would lead to the refusal of salary payment. The exercise as far as I am concerned is not worth it because of the problems associated with it”, says Augusta, a civil servant, who chooses to be identified by her first name.

Some observers describe the directive by some state governments that possession of voter’s card would be the condition for salary payment or getting benefits or enjoying social services provided by government as insensitive, anesthetic or hard. They relate it as a huge joke. Some of them say the directive is an indication that some state governments lack the knowledge of how democratic tenets function.

“It is not right for any government to tie workers’ salaries or any form of benefits to voter registration issue. What if I was not registered because of the slow pace of the exercise, would my salary be withheld? I am sure that not everyone would eventually register given the way the exercise went”, Peter Enenche, a public servant in Rivers State, declares.

The Tide gathered that the argument behind the “no voter’s card, no salary” directive was to ensure that citizens register as voters to enable them exercise their civic rights at the forthcoming general election. Some persons agree with the position of government and say it is the duty of any responsible government to ensure that citizens comply with civic responsibilities.

Mr. Reuben Bigada, a politician, says “voter registration should be made compulsory in Nigeria. That is the only way the average Nigerian will come out and register”.

Bigada is not alone on the issue as Mr. Paul Naabe, an accountant of a Community Bank in Port Harcourt, agrees with him: “It is a good idea. It will help weed out ghost workers from the payroll system. At least in theory”.

Not everyone sees the idea as good as some people say that making voter registration compulsory infringes on their religious convictions.

“Is it compulsory for one to register or vote? Because it is not in the Nigerian Constitution. There is no law in Nigeria that makes taking part in the voter registration exercise compulsory. The salary is for the work already done and has nothing to do with civic responsibilities. Besides, as a Jehovah’s Witness, it is against our doctrine,” says Ndubuisi Nwachukwu, a member of Watch Tower group.

Equally controversial and perhaps surprising was the threat allegedly issued by some churches which were reported to have hinged access to certain spiritual ordinances on the presentation of members’ voter’s cards.

The Tide actually gathers that some churches threaten not to give Holy Communion to members who did not register. Others were reported to have said that members would raise their voter’s card as a point of contact for prayers.

Different people, however, take these declarations by the churches in different lights. While some see them as the churches’ bid to ensure that their members perform their civic responsibilities as urged in the Bible, others describe the position as a taunt on the gospel and the faith.

“It is not out of place to use that measure to ensure that members register, knowing how important the exercise is for the people and the nation. It is what God says we should do”, declares Mrs Edith Nyekweru, a retired principal based in Port Harcourt.

But Mr. Owuje Park Harry, a journalist and publisher, has a different opinion as he roundly criticises such a declaration, saying it amounts to trivializing the Holy Communion.

“It is wrong. Jesus said that Christians should observe the Holy Communion in his remembrance and everyone who meets the standard spiritually cannot be denied based on failure to register, vote or pay tax; that should be left for the earthly authorities to deal with”, he retorted.

Analysts say that the state governments, rather than make the possession of voter’s card compulsory, should concentrate on the provision of basic amenities to their people. They dared the governments to carry out their threats and see the wrath of workers. They, however, describe the church as an institution that has lost its focus. According to them, instead of talking about holiness as a condition for communion, they are talking about voter’s cards.

A Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner, Mr. Soye Brown, describes the position of the state governors and church leaders on voter’s registration as empty threat, saying there is no law in Nigeria which stipulates that a worker should register before collecting his or her salary.

“Under section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, it is stated that people should not be deprived of their rights, so the issue of not paying salaries to workers because they fail to register is an illegality. Even the churches’ position that people cannot partake of Holy Communion because of voter registration is not good. Although it is important that everybody within voting age should register and vote, it should not be made a do or die affair. My take is that government has no right to compel citizens to register”, says Brown.

Continuing, the lawyer maintains that there is nowhere in the constitution where people are compelled to register or even vote, adding that it is a civic responsibility and it does not attract punishment.

“Nobody has the right to punish people for not registering to vote. Why are they then forcing people to register? The legal practitioner queries.

Though it is not certain whether the state governors and church leaders will go on with their threats, nevertheless, should they do so, some crises may ensure between the governors and organised labour with dire consequences.

Arnold Alalibo