18-year-old crushed to death after registering for PVC

• Ladipo market closed for PVC registration, collection

It was a tragic moment in Kaduna yesterday when an 18-year-old girl, Regina Solomon, who went for the ongoing Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Permanent Voters Card (PVC) registration, was crushed to death by a truck.

An eyewitness said the victim was standing by the roadside waiting for a commercial bus when the truck ran into her. The victim was going home from Kujama, in Chikun local government area of Kaduna.

A family source, Grace Ojo, who spoke to journalists in tears, said the deceased is the first child of a family of five. She lamented that the victim defied all counsel and went to the PVC registration centre against her mother’s advise, because of the 2018/2019 admission she secured at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria to read pharmacy.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Kaduna, DSP Yakubu Sabo, confirmed the incident. He added that the driver is already in detention, while the vehicle involved has been impounded until after investigation.

Meanwhile in Lagos, the bustling Ladipo international auto spare-parts market in Mushin, was yesterday closed by its leadership to enable traders register and collect their PVCs to ensure their political relevance in the forthcoming general elections. According to the President-General of the market and chairman Ladipo Central Executive Auto Dealers Association (LACEDA), Mr. Jude Chikere Nwankwo, the decision to shut the market was a collective one by the executives to enlighten the traders on the importance of the PVC.

“Shutting the market is a collective decision of the LACEDA executive being led by my humble self to educate and sensitized our people (traders) on the importance and need to get their permanent voters card (PVC). The market was not closed as a result of any crisis as may be falsely reported but for the good of the people to be empowered to decided who becomes the governor of the state and the president in the 2019 general elections,” he said.

He noted that a large number of the traders in the markets, which population is estimated at 10,000 have gotten their PVCs but there is still the need to educate and sensitized those who are yet to register or collect their PVCs to do so, as the registration would be ending on August 31.

Commending the leadership of the market, member Lagos State House of Assembly, Mushin Constituency 2, Olayiwola Abdulsabur Olawale, said they have shown exemplary leadership and character by not just urging the people to register and collect their PVCs but they shut the market for that purpose.

He said, “The leaders of the market have really tried by not just educating and sensitizing the people, but shut the market to enable them go the centres and get registered as well as collect their PVCs. This exercise shows that the leadership of the market is in tune with the government.”

For the All Progressive Congress (APC) Welfare Officer, Mushin LGA and Babaoja of Ladipo Market, Monday Lawrence Obijiogwu, the market-free day declaration by the LACEDA, to enable eligible voters in the market to register and also collect their PVCs is a good development, as it will enable the people vote Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who has brought government present into market with the road construction that is ongoing.