2015 Elections: Orientation Agency Partners INEC To Begin Voter Education

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will soon commence massive voter education to sensitize the Nigerian electorate on the processes of the 2015 General Elections as well as their civic rights and responsibilities in the elections.
This is emerging from a synergy and strategy meeting between the two agencies held at the National Orientation Agency Headquarters in Abuja. The INEC delegation to the meeting was led by INEC Commissioner, Dr. Chris Iyimoga acting as Chairman, Information and Publicity Committee of the Commission.
At the meeting, the Director General of NOA, Mr. Mike Omeri disclosed that the Agency was designing an interface to enable it take election messages to the masses in the languages they speak, read and understand. He further hinted that NOA had perfected plans to train its staff on election information dissemination, stressing that the Agency could not afford a misinformation of the electorate or a distorted feedback on election matters. He said already, NOA staff in Ekiti and Osun were carrying out community engagement and dialogue sessions for voter sensitization ahead of the coming gubernatorial elections in those States.
Assuring Nigerians of the resolve of government to ensure free and fair elections, Omeri said Nigerians should have no doubt about the 2015 elections. President Goodluck Jonathan, he said, “has shown commitment to free and fair elections from the 2011 elections. No observer in that election reported any government interference in the processes of that election, so Nigerians should be rest assured that the 2015 General Elections will even be an improvement on the 2011 polls”.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Iyimioga said the synergy was necessary as INEC considered it proper to liaise with NOA, being a key agency of government involved in information dissemination. This synergy with NOA, he said, would ensure effective election awareness and publicity towards the 2015 elections.
The INEC Commissioner assured Nigerians that election messages will reach all those who need to be reached as no effort would be spared in curbing voter apathy and improving voter education to ensure the 2015 elections is a remarkable improvement on the 2011 elections.