BY KAYODE ANIMASAUN
Ahead of the November 16th governorship election in Ondo state, the National Orientation Agency, NOA, has warned voters to desist from selling their votes if they desire good governance and dividends of democracy.
According to the Agency, Selling votes for peanuts cannot save them from their problems and Suffering.
The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onillu, stated this in Akure, the state capital at the Sensitisation campaign on National Value Chapter and flag off ceremony of Voter Education.
Radio Nigeria reports that major stakeholders including police, Nigerian Army, other paramilitary agencies, market women, traditional rulers and civil societies among others are represented at the event.
Represented by the Assistant director, Political Civic Ethics and Value Department NOA, Mrs Olayeni Ali, Onilu said, “Every stakeholder has a role to play in making sure that any election is credible or is successful. We are not to put every blame on INEC when things go wrong. We all have a role to play.
“And because of that, I want to implore us all that we should take our roles very seriously and try to make sure that we carry them out. As electorates, the collection of your PBC is very important. Very important.
“It’s not enough that you register. It’s important that you go and vote. No matter how stressful you feel the processes, please collect your PBCs.
“And collecting and dumping if they have is not also a good thing. If you do not come out to vote, we are not doing well for the nation. We need to all come out to cast our votes so that our minds will be represented.
“So that it’s not a few people that will choose who will lead us. Most times, many Nigerians don’t come out. But we still at home and grumble that the people that are leading us are not right.
“If you do not participate, you don’t have a right to complain. Because you never even showed interest in who should lead you. One important thing that NOA is concerned about is the selling of votes.
“We know the economy is somehow, It’s all over the world. But we believe if we are strong in ourselves and we have the right values, we will not sell our votes.
“Selling your votes for 4,000 Naira, 5,000 Naira cannot save you from the problems of hardship. It cannot take us out of our problems. And we are all told every electorate that what you are telling yourself is that an individual who gave you 4,000 Naira should go back when he gets into the position to recoup his money.
“Then you will not have any reason to say that your money was misappropriated when corruption sets in.
“We advise that you do not sell your votes. Let Ondo state be known that they took their stands this time and there is no record of vote selling and buying.
“And in your choice of your leader, we want to employ you. Do not allow sentiments to make you choose who will lead you. Government is not an easy thing to do.
“You need people who have the capacity to be able to run it. Most times as citizens, we say they should have done this, they should have done that. But the funny thing is that when you are seated, if you are not a well-prepared person, you will not be able to run the government well.
“So in your choice, don’t allow sentiments, he is from my village, he is from my local government, because it is the same religion with me or he speaks the same dialects as I do. Do not let it be the basis for your choice. Choose people who will run the affairs of your state well.“
In a message, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa urged community and religious leaders to keep sensitise the people on the need to cooperate with all agencies to ensure a hitch-free election.
Aiyedatiwa said, “To our leaders. We should inform our people in our various churches and mosques that we should allow peace to reign before, during and after the forthcoming election.“
He also urged the media to sustain all the tenets of journalism while covering activities of the election in the state.