By Peter Okutu

Abakaliki—The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, issued Certificates of Return to the 24 newly elected members of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, EBHA, out of which nine are new to the business of legislation in the state.

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Presenting the certificates at INEC headquarters in Abakaliki, Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Godswill Obioma commended the staff of the commission for “diligent service” carried out during the polls.

He said: “On March 9, 2019, history was made in Ebonyi as we were judged to have conducted the best election in Ebonyi. It was peaceful, compared with the presidential and other elections in the state and no life was lost.

“What we have come here to do is to witness one of the electoral processes in a democracy. If you don’t receive your certificate of return, you wouldn’t be recognized as elected.”

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Obioma also encouraged the elected House of Assembly members to carry out proper legislative processes that would move the state forward.

“Today, we are looking at the legislature, one of the arms of the government that makes laws. We believe that with  Ebonyi State,  it will now be up to some level for it to become better. We know that particular move will emanate from government programmes and the state arms of government.”

In his response, the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly and member-elect to represent Izzi West Constituency, Francis Nwifuru commended INEC for organising free and fair elections in the state and promised effective legislative processes by the members.

“I want to thank INEC for conducting the most credible, most free and fair elections in Ebonyi State.

“We want to assure you that we are going to work together with candidates of other political parties that contested with us to the extent that 95 per cent of them will not take us to court,” he noted.