BENIN CITY- The General Manager of Bendel Newspapers Company Limited, (BNCL), Mr. Dennis Omoregie, has described the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a strategic organisation which must be given the support of all Nigerians in order for it to actualize its mandate of evolving a democratic process which will guarantee credible elections in the country.
Mr. Omoregie made this known yesterday while playing host to Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hon. Aniedi Abasi Ikoiwak, who paid a courtesy visit to
BNCL, publishers of the OBSERVER titles.
He emphasized that without credible elections, no nation could attain democracy and therefore pledged the support of the company to INEC especially in the publication of its activities.
The General Manager noted that since the past 40 years, The NIGERIAN OBSERVER had been committed to enlightening the people on the activities of government and its agencies, stressing that the newspapers readership had increased with the recent hoisting of its website.
Earlier in his address, the INEC REC, Hon. Aniedi Abasi Ikiowak lauded the NIGERIAN OBSERVER for the role it had played in the sustenance of democracy in the country, adding that it was one of the few newspapers of its era still in existence.
The INEC commissioner maintained that the press had been a leading voice in the attainment and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, thereby becoming the conscience of the people.
According to him, “we therefore thought that here in Edo state, we cannot function properly without identifying with the media and especially with The NIGERIAN OBSERVER, which is the foremost media in the state. We believe that we are partners in progress”.
Hon. Ikiowak, however, tasked the Nigerian press to be objective in its reports particularly in those involving INEC which had been very negative in recent times.
He disclosed that towards ensuring more credible elections in the future, INEC in Edo state would begin the distribution of permanent Voters Cards (PVC) in all ward centres across the state from August 11- 15, 2008, between the hours of 8.00am to 4.00pm daily.
While appealing to the NIGERIAN OBSERVER to help in publicizing this exercise, he also appealed to voters to go and collect their cards from their registration centres or to visit the state INEC headquarters after the exercise for the same purpose.
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