THE Electoral Officer, EO of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Livy Unigwe, has appealed to the traditional ruler of Agbon Kingdom, HRM Ogurime-Rime, Ukori I, to plead with the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC to deploy corps members to Kokori to help in assisting the commission in the conduct of the forthcoming general election.

Making the plea at the palace of the monarch during the signing of a peace pact with political parties, security agencies, Agbon traditional council and the commission, Mr. Unigwe lamented that an estimated 17, 000 Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs are yet to be collected in the area.

Applauding the security efforts of the local vigilante and the council chairman, Chief Faith Majemite, Unigwe stated that the local vigilante has been very helpful to the commission especially in the recovery of 83 stolen PVCs which were recently returned to the commission.

Debunking claims that Kokori is unsafe and volatile, he said: “When you don’t get close to a place, you won’t know the position of things in such areas, contrary to claims of unrest in Kokori and its environs, we have been embarking on our activities here in Kokori without any form of criminality.

“It is based on these false claims that the NYSC has refused to deploy corps members to the area but we are appealing to them through the monarch that peace has returned to the area and corps members can be deployed to Kokori for their primary assignments.”

On the readiness of INEC towards conducting a free and fair election, Mr. Unigwe said: “INEC has reappraised its operations in checkmating the late arrival of electoral materials. We have established seven Super Registration Area Camps in Ethiope East and this is to ensure that all polling units in the area get their materials latest 7am on the day of election which is also aimed at ensuring a smooth conduct of free and fair elections in the area.”