By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—Eligible voters in Bayelsa State, yesterday, besieged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, designated centres to collect their permanent voters cards as the state government embarked on “Operation show your PVCs.”

The state government had declared yesterday (Monday) a work-free day, the second time in two weeks, to enable registered voters to collect their PVCs.  The usually busy state secretariat complex and public schools in Yenagoa were under lock and key but some of the private schools were in session when this reporter went round the town.

The state government had earlier called on traditional rulers in the state to prevail on their subjects to take advantage of the extension of deadline by INEC to collect their PVCs. Dickson in continuation of the state government’s “Operation Show Your PVC” exercise in Yenagoa Local Government Area, charged royal fathers to engage the services of town criers to further sensitise the people on the importance of the cards.

He said the call had become imperative, in view of the state government’s desire to achieve 100 per cent collection rate to enable the people exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general elections.