A non-governmental organisation, Polling Unit Ambassadors of Nigeria (PUAN) has inaugurated its Bayelsa State Executives after years of delay.
The inauguration ceremony which took place in Yenagoa, the state capital amidst heated arguments as to who was credible and more qualified to hold the organisation’s State’s top position, saw a Director at the State’s Envirimental Sanitation Authority, Mr Ebi Appah, being sworn in as the State Ambassador, the nomenclature for the PUAN’s highest state office.
It would be recalled that the inauguration of the Bayelsa State executive of PUAN, which was earlier billed to take place last Tuesday, was said to have been postponed due to what they called “unforeseen circumstances”.
The Tide reports that the group’s members who were earlier reported to have expressed their dismay over the Tuesday’s postponed inauguration, were later seen on Wednesday in their best behaviour.
About 90 percent of them were inaugurated either as State, Zonal or Senatorial District executive members.
The Tide further gathered that PUAN, which would most likely play a major role in the forthcoming, 2023 general elections, was borne out of the desire to educate Nigerians on credible, free and fair elections, voter education, and sensitisation and creating awareness on electoral matters for the Nigerian electorates.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the inauguration, the NGO’s national leader, Amb. Capt. Dabbas Suleiman, expressed delight over the ceremony, noting that the NGO was founded on the notion of ensuring that Nigerians were properly educated and enlightened on free, fair and credible elections and how to ensure that their votes count before, during and after every elections.
He cautioned against vote-buying, describing it as the greatest menace on the nation’s electoral system.
Stating PUAN’s commitment towards protecting the sanctity of the electoral system, inconjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commissioner and other agencies in the electoral system, he lauded the State Chapter of the organization for keeping faith with the body.
Speaking with The Tide, a cross section of members said with the inauguration, the PUAN South-South zonal leadership, headed by Amb. Mfon Peter, popularly refered to as Deputy Ambassador General (DAG), it has proven to the public that the NGO was made up of people with substance and integrity.
“We’ve been traveling round this country inaugurating various states and zonal executives of PUAN. The inauguration of the Bayelsa State executive makes 29 excos that we’ve since inaugurated.
With the inauguration of the Bayelsa state executive, we can now say that our work here has finally started. PUAN has three Cs which guide our dealings with the public. They are: Commitment, Competence and Character.
“We don’t have money as an organization, but as members of PUAN, we’ve integrity, we’ve competence and we’ve character”, the AG said.
Also speaking, the duo of the PUAN Secretary General, Amb. Prince Osas Osagie and the Deputy Ambassador General (DAG), South-South zone, Amb. Mfon Peter, reemphasized the need for hard work and commitment, noting that the NGO does not attach any renumeration to the functions of its members.
The duo advised the newly Inaugurated executive to function for the betterment of the NGO in the State and he country at large.
In his acceptance speech, the newly inaugurated SA, Amb. Ebi Appah, assured that the State Executive under his leadership would “continue to function collectively to ensure that citizens of the State and residents were properly and adequately sensitized on the need to hold their elective office holders accountable before and after elections.