INEC Takes Voter Sensitisation To Public Schools

The Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) in Abia has initiated moves to curb voter apathy among the
electorate, according to its Resident Electoral Commissioner. Prof. Jacob
Jatau.

Jatau said this on Tuesday in Umuahia during
a workshop on ‘Voter Education activities in Schools’ organised by INEC for
principals of secondary schools in the state.

The event, the first in a series,  is meant to equip the electorate to have the
power to determine who leads them.

“This is unique in the sense that,
hitherto, focus on voter education had been on institutions such as political
parties, traditional rulers and socio-economic groups.

“It was also mainly at the approach of
electoral activities,” he said.

He said that the new INEC placed more
emphasis on the “entire gamut” of electoral process instead of zero in on
elections proper.

“The objective is to select people who will
in serving the state ensure that errors of the past are corrected and the needs
and expectations of the people amply provided,” he said.

Jatau said that the young people in the
various schools formed ready target to achieve the set goal.

“This vision, though a little bit utopian
can be realised once the democratic spirit is imbibed by our youths.

“They form a large percentage of our
electorate and are often willing to ensure that the right thing is done.

“The present INEC is blessed with seasoned
people with the resolve to ensure that the electoral process in Nigeria is so
positioned that it cannot be manipulated easily by a few persons,” he said.

Coordinator of the programme in South East,
Prof. Michaels Okolie, said the current INEC was poised to realise the
objectives of the electoral project. “

“To domesticate this, we need to form Voter
Education Clubs in all schools because this will be the vanguard that will
bring people who share the same idea together.

“This will also bring INEC closer to
partner with schools in order to enrich their curriculum.

“We have already selected pilot schools for
a take-off. “Our motto is ‘Friends of INEC, Young Democrats, and this will
actually encourage the democratic process in our schools,” he added.

Okolie said that the process was not meant
to be a vanguard for political warfare, stressing that it must not be hijacked
by any government in power.