Defense former Minister Brownie Jeffery Samukai has criticized the National Elections Commission (NEC) for its alleged failure to carry out properly its public awareness on the creation of new voter registration centers couple with limited time of the exercise.
He said this could cause many people not to register doing this ongoing biometric voters registration exercise which has begun in six of the 15 counties, namely Montserrado, Margibi, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu and Bomi respectively and is expected to end on April 9, 2023.
Samukai believes that such action is having an avert effect on registrants mainly the elderly likewise the youth who travel long distances before reaching the registration center to get registered to vote in the pending Tuesday, October 10 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
Samukai expressed his displeasure with the Commission yesterday when spoke on the privately-owned radio station, the Ok FM in Monrovia citing his own experience recently in the Kabbah Community where he resides and registered before leaving the country.
He said when he got at a registration center in the community; there were some delays on the part of NEC’s temporary staffers mainly when it came to the spelling of names and dates of birth; which are obviously minor problems.
“Locals are not properly informed through community radio stations of the voters registration exercise on the part of NEC and its international partners. Others and I organized town hall meetings in Lofa on community radio stations to educate the people of the exercise. It is shame!” Samukai told his audience.
Samukai said in the districts of Foya, Vahun, Kolahun, Zorzor, Voinjama and other places as well as other villages and towns where new voters registration centers have been created by the Commission, there have been absolutely not enough awareness carried out to the people.
He stated that voters registration centers in Lofa are far apart to the extent it takes one almost 45 minutes to drive from one point to another before getting to register and it might have an avert affect on people who will have to trek as well as be economically costly for those going by bikes mainly the aged as the struggling youth.
“NEC allegedly failed to carry out awareness or prior notice to would-be registrants or locals on the creation of new voter registration centers in the county and that could have an avert effect on the exercise in Lofa which does not augur well,” the prominent son of Lofa noted.
Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, Maryland, Rivergee, Grand Kru, Sinoe and Rivercess are part of the second phase of the ongoing voter registration exercise which expected to begin in those counties on Thursday, April 20 to Thursday, May 11, 2023.
