By VINCENT UJUMADU
AWKA—THE Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, announced yesterday that it had begun preparations for the conduct of the local government election in the state.

Commissioner overseeing activities at the commission, Chief Sylvester Okonkwo, told newsmen that the state government had been funding the commission adequately, prompting ANSIEC to commence the printing of the voters’ register at the Anambra State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Okonkwo, who urged the people of Anambra State to be patience as the commission was doing everything possible to conduct the election, said about 20, 000 copies of materials meant for the sensitization and education of the electorate had been printed, just as voters registers of nine out of the 21 local governments in the state were ready.

He said: “We want to appeal to our people to remain calm because it is better to get the exercise right. We know that Anambra people are not violent and we urge them to keep it up. Our commissioners are carefully selected and dedicated people who have no allegiance to any partisan group and will therefore not favour anybody or group. Our assurance is that the process has commenced in earnest because we are being funded adequately by the state government and as of now, we are not lacking anything.”