By John Ituma (Ebonyi State Correspondent)
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has raised strong objections over the decision of the State government to give as a condition the submission of a voter's card as a major requirement for anyone to be employed in the state civil service.
The Ebonyi chapter of the PDP, according to its State Publicity Secretary, Nwoba C. Nwoba, said such plans are fraught with fraudulent intentions. According to him, "in the notice fliers circulating around and duly signed by Dr, Kenneth Ugbala, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the government has ordered prospective applicants going for aptitude tests this December to come along with their PVCs as a condition for getting a job in the state."
Nwoba who said the party suspects foul play, alleges that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government in the state wants to racket voters cards for jobs in the state. He then called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the general public to be mindful of such clandestine moves by Ebonyi State government.
Stating further, Nwoba declared, that the government planned to harvest thousands of PVCs from the unsuspecting applicants and others this Christmas season as a condition for accessing different packages from the government.
Nwoba who described the action as "barbaric", says "it's also a contravention of laid down procedures for recruitment into the civil service." According to him, the gimmick is a "criminal ploy to amass PVCs which will be used to rig the 2023 general election", he bemoaned.
The PDP spokesman, therefore, said the party wanted INEC and the security agencies to be aware of a conscious arrangement to rip people off their future by stripping them off their franchise powers. Nwoba stated further that "the recruitment process is mere diversionary antics", alleging that "the exercise, in reality, is a smokescreen for the main purpose which is to collect PVCS and then tell stories over the outcome of the exercise later".
He said it's necessary to call the state government to order as a means of forestalling any possibility of PVCS racketeering exercise ahead of the 2023 general elections in the state. NNL.
