Delta State Deputy Governor Prof Amos Agbe Utuama, SAN, has called on Deltans to go and get their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) so as to be able to exercise their civic duties during the forthcoming general election and subsequent elections in the country.

Utuama made the call after he collected his own PVC yesterday at Ward 2, Unit 4, in his home town of Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state. According to the Deputy Governor, without the PVC no one will be allowed to vote. He described it as the electorate’s “passport” which qualifies one to vote for any candidate of his choice and also to be voted for if he chooses to run for any office.

His words: “Let me use this opportunity to call on all eligible voters who have previously registered before to come forward and collect their Permanent Voter Card (PVC). The card is your power. It is your passport. Without it you will not be allowed to vote. It is very, very important that you have it. No adult of voting age should be without a voter’s card. The exercise will last for three days. From today, tomorrow and day after tomorrow, that is Sunday. And those who are yet to have should register as from August 20 to 25. It is very important.

“The state government attaches so much importance to the issue of collecting your PVC. That is why today has been declared a work free day for all workers to be able to go and get their cards. With your card you can vote and also seek to be voted for if you so wish to contest any election. It is the card that will enable you to vote for the man or woman of your choice to represent you. So go out and get it. It is very important. It takes less than five minutes to collect. I did not wait up to two minutes here now because of the way the electoral umpire has prepared itself.”

Utuama also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the orderly manner in which the cards were arranged which made the process of collection easy.

It was his second time of calling on the people of the state to go and get the PVC. Earlier in the day during a private visit to the Orovworere of Effurun-Otor Kingdom in the same local government, His Royal Majesty, Eyareya J. Oghenejenavwo, Ogbogbo IV, Utuama had urged the people to take advantage of the three days exercise by the INEC to get their cards as it would not be possible for them to vote without it.

The traditional ruler, who in company of his chiefs, elders, women and youth groups showered encomium on the deputy governor for being such a good leader of the people pleaded that the bridge linking Effurun-Otor with other towns such as Ovwor, Okpare, Out-Jeremi, Gbaregolo and many other communities by completed by the government, which the community argued, would be of immense benefit to the community.

In his response, Utuama assured the royal father and the community that government would look into their request. The community leaders later led the deputy governor to see the bridge site.

•Photo shows Prof. Utuama.

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