The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, has explained that contrary to misconceptions in some quarters, the Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC, does not expire.
Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in charge of Abia State, Dr. Joseph Iloh, who made the clarification while sensitising students at the 10th Matriculation ceremony of the Gregory University Uturu, said “PVC is as valid as the voter is alive”.
He urged students of the university who were eligible for voting to arm themselves with PVC ahead of the 2023 general polls.
INEC also advocated active participation of the university community in the electoral process since the electoral umpire usually recruits its ad-hoc staff from the university environment.
Earlier in his address, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Augustine Uwakwe, tasked the 484 matriculants to focus on academic excellence and shun all forms of distractions associated with campus life.
The VC who said the university had zero tolerance for cultism, drug abuse and internet fraud, charged the students to eschew all forms of vices as anyone caught indulging in such abnormality will be decisively dealt with.
The VC who said the university was poised to break global records in many fields urged the students to take advantage of the entrepreneurial Centre in the Institution to acquire vocational skills for self reliance in addition to their certificate.
He said that the Institution had world-class facilities including library and laboratories with modern facilities comparable with those in any standard university in the world.
In a remark, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, described Gregory university as the fasted-growing university in the South East region, saying he is proud that the founder is an Abian who had shown capacity in many fields.
Ikpeazu who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Anthony Agbazuere, urged the students to select their goal in life and pursue same with undivided single mindedness.
The governor who commended the university management for its special attention to entrepreneurial studies urged the staff to complement the efforts of the Chancellor by putting in their best despite the challenges of working in the private sector.
