Amalgamation of Imo Professional Bodies in crucial meeting with INEC

The Amalgamation of Imo Professional Bodies and Associations held a crucial meeting with INEC at the commision's Port Harcourt  Road office on Thursday, 1st November 2018 towards the group's resolve of enthroning good governance in Imo State through mass mobilization, citizen participation in credible electoral processes and deciding who should govern them. It also used the parley to present a template that will regulate the choice of the amalgamation on who governs Imo State in 2019, to INEC having circulated same to the various political parties before their primaries.

The Amalgamation is made up of notable professional,sociocultural and civil society organizations and led by Chief Emeka Diwe.

In his response, the REC said:

 "What you have done shows that you are ready to decide what happens in your State"

INEC as an organization,  in her wisdom, adopted a policy of posting people to work in their geopolitical zones. Majority of the top staff of the commission, especially Resident Electoral Commissioners in South East are indigenes of the zone. This is to ensure that you look at your people who should know you and you know them, when you are working.

We are not happy with the "less concern" attitude of the electorates in Imo towards the issues that affect them. As at today, more than five hundred thousand persons are yet to collect their PVCs and this is giving the Commission serious concern.

Again, with what happened during the last party primaries, you people have a lot of work to do on your members and followers.  The masses have been so impoverished that they can be bought with 1000 naira to vote the wrong candidate.

As you are aware, the votes now count, that is why politicians now resort to vote buying.
INEC is the umpire and must be seen to be fair to all parties.
I commend the leadership of the groups here and urge you not to relent.

Present at the meeting were Leaders and representatives of the Association of Imo Indigenous Town Unions, Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), the Nigerian Medical Association(NMA), the Academia, Orluzurumee, Olu Owerri, Olu Okigwe, National Youth Council of Nigeria(NYCON), National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS), Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria (CYON), Amalgamated Traders Union, and members of the Imo NUJ.

Members of the delegation took turns to engage INEC on the need to ensure a level playing ground for all parties and maintain  the highest level of independence while carrying the Imo common masses along.