2023 Elections: Community-based NGO sensitizes voters on PVCs collection

Bothered by  slow pace in the collection of Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, a community-based Non-Governmental Organization, NGO, Obige Obukpa Widows Care Foundation ,OOWCF, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu state, yesterday, embarked on sensitization and awareness rally to appeal to the conscience of eligible voters to collect their cards before deadline.

The rally which took the group to the various parts of Nsukka and Igbo-Eze South Local Government Areas, including markets and other open business areas was sponsored by the Women’s Voice and Leadership Project; Global Affairs Canada, Action Aid and Women’s Aid Collective ,WACOL.

The Foundation’s Programme Officer, Mrs. Angela Ugwuanyi, while addressing market men and women at the Nkwo Ibagwa-Aka market in Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area, advised those who are yet to collect their PVCs to hasten up and collect them before it is too late, emphasizing that without the Permanent Voters Cards, they would be disenfranchised during the elections. 

According to her, the collection of the voter’s cards is essential as that is the only thing that gives them the opportunity to determine who they should vote during the election, saying, “Your PVC is your power to make leadership choice during the elections.” 

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Lolo Eucharia Ezeh, noted that their sponsors considered it necessary that voters are enlightened on their civic responsibilities for purposeful and result-oriented polls.  

“Our sponsors know the relevance of active political participation and it’s based on this that  we embarked on this awareness rally.  They are Women’s Voice and Leadership Project; Global Affairs based in Canada that found it necessary to collaborate with Nigeria-based organizations; the Action Aid; based in Abuja and the Women’s Aid Collective ,WACOL, based here in Enugu.

” It is for effective grassroots mobilization and awareness that WACOL after due consideration assigned the duty to our Foundation and that is why we are at work.

“We are not partisan. What we have been doing since January 21 to 28, 2023 is to enlighten the eligible voters to collect their PVCs and to also educate them on how to vote during the elections”, she said.

The Executive Director, Lolo Ezeh and the Programme Officer, Mrs. Ugwuanyi who led the group to the rally described the exercise as successful. They expressed gratitude to their sponsors for giving the Foundation the opportunity to carry out the sensitization programme, adding that they were indeed grateful to them.

Obige Obukpa Widows Care Foundation was founded in 2008 by a traditional ruler of the community, HRH, Igwe Barrister Raphael Simon Ngwu Ezeh, to assist and empower widows in the area through provision of soft loans for small scale businesses, entrepreneurship training and other ancillary services.