The Cross River State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Comr. Asu Okang yesterday in his Calabar office received the New Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman of the State.
Okang who highlighted major concerns of the state as regards the laxities in the electioneering process which has been identified as the major cause of low voters turn out, took to his Facebook page to intimate the public on his demands.
He wrote;
“Earlier yesterday,I received the newly deployed Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC to Cross River River state Dr. Emmanuel Hart, who was on a courtesy visit to my office.
I among other things drew the attention of INEC to ;
1-The injustice meted on Cross River state regarding the number of polling units in the state,compared to the vast geographical landmass and peopling of the area.
I, for instance drew his attention to some political wards that require 2 to 3 hours journey to get to the headquarters and called for the creation of more polling units and political wards in the state in keeping with current realities.
2- The Bakassi situation also took the front burner,as l called on INEC to urgently implement law number (7 ) of the Cross River State House of Assembly,by urgently delineating the new Bakassi Local Government to accommodate the ceded area to Cameroon, owing to the kangaroo judgement of the the ICJ to achieve political order and in keeping with the Supreme judgement.
As 2023 beckons,the REC assured us that urgent steps will be taken to address some of these issues and we agreed to put up a white paper latest by Monday as a follow-up.
His Excellency,The Governor, shall therefore be convening a stakeholders meeting to evaluate wards with peculiar cases for collective input”