By Segun Adewale in Bauchi
The Bauchi state government has, through the ministry of Information, conducted a one-day sensitisation workshop for Local Government Information Officers to boost voter registration in the state.
Declaring the workshop open at the Development Exchange Center (DEC) Bauchi on Tuesday, State Commissioner of Information, Honorable Usman Usman Shehu, said the initiative aims to educate officers on the importance of voter registration and equip them with strategies to mobilize citizens, particularly in remote areas participate actively in the process.
Hon. Shehu emphasised the need for the citizens to register and participate in the electoral process.
According to him, the Bauchi government, in collaboration with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and National Orientation Agency (NOA), is working to strengthen awareness creation and education on voter registration, with INEC providing registration points in all LGAs.
The Commissioner appreciated the state governor, senator Bala Mohammed for approving the workshop, among other initiatives of the ministry for the betterment of the citizens, describing voter registration as a fundamental step in solidifying Democratic governance.
Hon. Shehu stressed that voter registration made citizens become bonafide voters and by extension, key stakeholders in selecting leaders at all levels of government.
He commended the INEC for making the registration exercise ongoing, providing every LGA with specific registration points.
The Commissioner expressed concerns that Bauchi being one of the most populous States in Nigeria, is always recording very poor voter turn out despite having good number of registered voters.
“It is a great source of concern to see that only less than fifty percent of our registered voters used to show up during election”, the commissioner said.
