Eligible Nigerians who went out to collect their permanent voters card at ward 7, Borikiri were seen stranded following the locking of the gate of Immaculate Heart College, former GSS Borikiri, Port Harcourt at the weekend.
Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred at polling units 6,7,8,9,10,11,12, 13 and 14 adding that the security men locked the gate at 5pm to prevent more voters from going in.
“This is a private school owned and managed by the Catholic Missions when it is time for the privacy of the students we don’t compromise. Therefore, no coming in, except those going out after checking their names and data, one of the security men said.
Meanwhile, those stranded and those whose names did not appear were calling on the INEC to relocate the said units to government owned school premises. So that access to checking their names would not be obstructed.
However, one Mrs. Felicia Asonye alleged that the registration officers at unit 8 played sharp practices with her Asonye, alleging that she saw her name and passport image on the table of the registration officers, but was denied collection, explaining that by the time she could write her card serial number (88) to the registration officer, her passport disappeared.
Others who spoke to our correspondent further alleged that they experienced similar sharp practices, pointing out that they had gone round the units at Enitonia High School UPE and Government comprehensive Schools, but their names were not found as the ad-hoc staff are commercializing the exercise. ###
Benett James
