The meeting began at exactly 12.00pm with Mr. Uzodinma Nwaogbe as the anchor person. An opening prayer was said by Inspector Okafor a member of the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps, after which came the national anthem.
The welcome was read by Dr. Lambert Onumaegbu, Director, Youth Media and Communication Initiative, Owerri office. He welcomed all the participants and discussants to the programme and reminded them that the meeting was historic because participants were gathered to talk and prepare for the most important election in fifty years of our independence.
The first discussant, Barrister Eze Eluchie, began his discussion by saying that the essence of democracy is to ensure votes of registered voters count at elections. He pointed out that since 1999 Nigeria has practiced civil rule and not democracy. He highlighted the importance of votes counting during elections. Our votes must count to stop bad and corrupt leaders from emerging, he noted. According to him, votes not counting is equivalent to armed robbery, adding that election rigging, stuffing of ballot boxes, snatching of ballot boxes, re-writing election results are all criminal offences that must be treated with serious punishment he averred.
Barr. Eluchie went further to highlight how participants can make their votes count; first, he identified that people must be agents of change; they must be involved in the process leading to positive change; they must register as voters, vote during elections, and do something to defend their votes. Barr. Eze said emphatically that votes do not count in South-eastern Nigeria. The South East witnesses the highest rate of election rigging, ballot stuffing, and all manner of electoral malpractices, he noted.
He said when the peoples’ votes fail to count, it has effect on our economy. It brings in bad government that is not accountable to the people. It increases unemployment, infrastructural decay, and abandonment of developmental goals for the masses of the country. He concluded by advising participants to shun election vices and become agents of change. The earlier the peoples vote start counting, the better for Nigeria, he concluded.
Dr. Sam Amadi, the second discussant, in his presentation started by explaining his involvement in the campaign for peoples’ votes to count at elections through his partnership with MYVC. He said changes can be made through active politics but the most important way is to contribute our quota through voter registration, voting, defending our vote, and ensuring our votes count. Our interest and participation is enough to defend our votes and not to abandon it for hoodlums to take over. He challenged participants not to see politics as a dirty game and then turn their back to it. Rather they should get involved to make it clean and save the country from anarchy and doom. Dr Amadi told the listeners that the South East is rated 5th in terms of active participation in politics and this is not good enough for us as a people. Politics plays very important role in our lives, our children’s education, provision of social amenities, employment, indeed our businesses. Politics is about taking decisions that affect every part of our lives hence the need to participate actively.
Like the earlier speaker, he noted that before participants can make their votes count, they must register and vote. The MYVC organization is all about ensuring that the votes of the people count. Dr. Amadi warned participants, that this is our chance and opportunity to make our contribution for a sound democracy.
Dr. Amadi called on the South East to take active part in the electoral process and not use work or business as an excuse for not participating. He also frowned at the nonchalant attitude of voters as they must understand that their not participating will surely affect them and their children.
The third discussant, Deputy Commandant General, Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, Patience Agbiki, representing her Commandant, Dr. Ade Abolurin, said she was delighted to be part of the program and lauded the organizers of the program for creating such awareness among the people. She said for better Nigeria and greater tomorrow everyone must ensure their votes count.
She stated that the essence of democracy is that people participate and their participation is respected. The basic rule of the game must be upheld. Election must be free, fair and credible. In upholding the tenet of democracy and to achieve free and fair election come 2011, Mrs. Agbiki emphasized the need for citizens to search their conscience and have a rethink of previous roles in various election held in the past with a view to ushering in sanity in the conduct of elections. She highlighted the roles of the corps and how the body has won public respect in the discharge of its functions.
In the area of election monitoring, Mrs. Agbiki noted that the Corps had proven that it is not an organization that can be bought over, nor be found wanting in carrying out her constitutional duties. She said the gathering should not been seen as any other gathering whose outcome is swept under the carpet. It should be seen as the beginning of the new dawn leading to the actualization of credible election in the country. It should have a positive impact on everyone present and the message should be carried home for the youth to see that they have a stake in governance. Mrs. Agbiki noted that her agency was willing to partner with MYVC. She concluded by saying the Civil Defence is fully prepared and on ground to discharge her function without compromise and encouraged participants to believe in themselves and not mortgage their conscience.
Goodwill Messages
DSP Samuel Eke, representing the Imo State Police Commissioner was happy about the MYVC movement. He highlighted the role the Nigeria Police play during elections in Nigeria: protecting voters, INEC officials, election materials, and generally maintaining law and order. Though, the public sees the police from a different perspective, DSP Eke noted that there is a lot misconception about the police on the part of the public. The Police, he said, are a constitutional body with enormous authority and power that cannot be ignored and that play a very vital role during elections. DSP Eke assured that the coming 2011 general elections will be free and fair in Imo State, as his men are undergoing training and re-training specifically for that.
Mr. Mike Opara, Director, National Orientation Agency, (NOA), Imo State said he was happy to be a part of the town hall meeting. He said the NAO was also mapping out strategies in reaching people at the grassroots. Mr. Opara, however, condemned what he called the high concentration of sensitization in urban centres, while neglecting those in rural communities. He noted that the major challenge is penetrating the rural areas and that is the main concern of NOA. He said the issue should be a concern for civil society organizations working in the area of political education. He further stated that volunteers must be effectively empowered to say no to election rigging. He concluded that the only way MYVC can achieve it objectives is to organize community based orientation centres. It will surely have impact in the long run, he concluded.
Questions/comments
During the question and answer section, Chief Willy Njoku of the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party, ANPP, wondered how Nigerians can defend their votes and have credible election when the Nigeria Police and other security agencies were not doing their work thoroughly. He accused the police of looking away while electoral malpractices go on.
A youth participant noted Nigerian youths do not need money to defend their votes. Youths need to be empowered through information, he noted, adding that the National Youth Council, South East zone, were eager to work with MYVC in realization of its objectives. He said the failure of the Nigerian youth failure is also a result of the failed leadership by Nigerian leaders.
Mr. Izunna Ogbonna, a community youth leader wanted to what young people are supposed to do if votes don’t count during elections.
Mr. Victor David, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, recommended that MYVC activities be extended to the grassroots. He advised youths to be patriotic and not to be deceived into criminality.
Mr. John Ndubuisi also supported the idea of the program targeted at the grassroots people. He also voted for the program to be established at the local communities.
Responses
Barr. Eze Eluchie emphazised that the Inspector General of Police was really in support of ensuring free, fair and credible election in the country. The police are aware of what is at stake and cannot jeopardize their role in the forth coming election, he noted. He said there were a lot fake police officers who commit election fraud. He advised participants to confront any officer seen committing election fraud because no genuine officer can be involved in any electoral malpractice.
Dr. Onumaegbu also responded that MYVC is not a half hearted project, but a project committed in sending message to the grassroots. He advised the participants not to relent in their efforts, but to take the message from the program to their friends, relatives, colleagues and communities.
The program ended with a vote of thanks from Mr. Lewis Asubiojo, who thanked all for finding time to attend the historic event. A closing prayer was offered by one of the women participants. After the event an Election Fraud Monitoring Committee, EFMC, was inaugurated as a body that would monitor and report on election fraud.
Report prepared by Godspower Onumaegbu
