2023: Enugu Community Wants INEC To Re-Issue Them PVCs After Flood Disaster

Ojjor Community in Uzo-Uwani local government area of Enugu State, weekend, appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to either allow them to vote without permanent voters’ cards or re-issuance of their lost PVCs ahead of the 2023 general elections. The riverine community was among communities that were submerged by flooding last year.

Chief Fidelis Okeji, the palace secretary of the Igwe’s cabinet, made the demand in an interview with THE WHISTLER at Ojjor. He said the community is yet to recover from the devastation caused by the flood, which lasted from October to November last year.

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Quoting him, “About twenty houses were destroyed. Many other buildings were submerged. Then many farm buildings were destroyed. They were mainly mud houses but people lived there seasonally. People who were displaced are around 2, 063 by our records. They are scattered all over the places. Some of them left to stay with their relatives in other parts of the state. Some are still squatting within. But it has not been easy.”

He said many of the victims lost their PVCs, and might be disenfranchised ahead of the 2023 general elections: “The flood victims who are eligible to vote are about 2, 015 persons; but they no longer have their PVCs. So they won’t be able to vote in the 223 general elections if INEC does not find a way to re-issue those lost PVCs to them. And it is very terrible if they are not allowed to vote as a result of this ecological disaster.

“Our appeal is for special consideration. Many of our people will be disenfranchised as a result of the flood. I suggest we should be allowed to vote without permanent voters’ cards. It is not fault of ours. Most buildings in our community were flooded. They still stand because they were built with cement.”

He said the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and Enugu State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, sent some relief materials to the victims during the flood, which lasted from October to December last year.

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“They sent us some bags beans, garri, and rice. We are in need of help. It has not been easy. The occupants of this community are about 10, 000.”

A victim, Felicia Chikwelu, said, “We don’t have anything to eat. Our house was among those flooded. We lost everything. All my savings, voter’s card, clothes, food items that I stocked, such as rice, beans, yam and dried fish were washed away. We need food because we are starting life afresh.

“We need seeds to plant again. I had a big pepper farm, but nothing remained. I am staying in somebody’s house. We are begging for food until rainy season when we can begin cultivation again.”

Our correspondent reports that the community experienced flooding in 2012, but never experienced such again until last year.

A teacher, Cajetan Nebeife, said, “We were never warned about the flooding. I know that NEMA and similar agencies usually warn residents around rivers to evacuate ahead of impending floods. But we didn’t get such warning. That was why we suffered huge casualties.”

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It was gathered that the flood was a result of overflow of River Obima and Omambala River along Enugu-Anambra-Kogi borders.

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