BY VINCENT UJUMADU

AWKA—GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State has declared January 11, 2014, as a public holiday to enable eligible voters participate in the local government election scheduled for that day.
Though many people are still skeptical about the possibility of the election being conducted on January 11, the governor’s declaration of public holiday is an indication that the poll would, at long last, be held.

The last local government election held in Anambra State was in 1998 before the emergence of the present democratic dispensation.
In the past one year, Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC, had postponed the election five times, fueling insinuations that the exercise might not be conducted in the life of the present administration.

ANSIEC acting chairman, chief Sylvester Okonkwo, had said last month that the commission was ready for the exercise, attributing the several postponements in the past to non-delivery of authentic voters’ register to his commission by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

About 22 political parties fielding candidates for the chairmanship and councillorship positions in the election have been meeting with officials of ANSIEC on the modalities for a successful election.
But announcing the public holiday yesterday, during his New Year broadcast in Awka, Governor Obi said the holiday was to enable the people exercise their franchise without hindrance.

Meanwhile, Governor Obi has said that the reconstruction of Enugu –Onitsha expressway from the border town of Amansea to Amawbia in Awka and from Upper Iweka to Zik’s roundabout in Onitsha would commence in the next three weeks.