By Peter Okutu
In a bid to ensure that everybody, including civil and public servants, registered in the on-going voters’ registration, Ebonyi State governor, Martin Elechi, Wednesday, promised to declare a work free day.

Elechi made this known at the Community Secondary School, Echi-Alike in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state, after he was registered by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Chief Humphrey Nwangene.

According to Elechi, “if it becomes necessary,  we will declare work free day to enable civil servants in the state to participate in the exercise.

“Sure, we will not hesitate or delay but you know what we are, some may use that as an opportunity to scamper away and go for their private businesses rather than come for registration as such.

“But we will give them more time to really exercise this civic obligation if that becomes necessary but we will first get to the ministry and find out the true situation, then we will know if there is need to approve the work free day or not.”

Similarly, wife of the governor, Mrs. Josephine Elechi, expressed satisfaction over the turnout of women for the exercise, adding that the level of women participation in the exercise would pave way for women to also contribute their quota towards the governance of the country.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mr. Humphrey Nwangene, regretted some of the hitches experienced at the beginning of the exercise, adding that the DDC machines were being upgraded on daily basis.

“I regret we had little hitches at the beginning of the exercise which one should expect in such a project of that magnitude.

“I am happy to report that we are on top of the situation as it were and we are solving a lot of the problems. Even this morning, the machines are still being upgraded and we can now register more than eight persons within a space of one hour. We will register all eligible voters before the expiration of the date,” he said.