Creation of wards is collective decision, says DSIEC
From Sunny Ogefere, Asaba
DELTA State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) has said that the recent delineation and creation of wards in the state, which has attracted some criticisms, was the outcome of a collective decision taken by members of the commission.
The DSIEC Commissioner in charge of Logistics and Security, Capt. Cletus Emiemokumo (rtd) told reporters at the weekend that the commission never contemplated cancelling the recent ward creation exercise.
Two weeks earlier, the state electoral body announced the delineation and creation of additional wards across the state.
The announcement elicited some criticisms with some communities staging peaceful protests, while it was reportedly violent at Agbor where the Abavo and Agbor clans both in Ika-South Council were at loggerheads over the ward creation.
Following the protests and criticisms, some DSIEC electoral commissioners dissociated themselves from the exercise, alleging that the commission's Chairman, Justice James Omo-Agege (rtd) single-handedly created the wards.
But in a statement issued by the commission's Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Tebekaemi, the DSIEC said there was no time that the chairman acted on his own, on the issue in the state.
"At no time did the chairman act on his own", Tebekaemi said, adding that "the chairman and other members acted collectively right from inception of the exercise in May 2002 to its conclusion recently".
The commission accused some electoral commissioners of working for their communities alone, saying it was regrettable that some commissioners allow their communities' interests to override their obligations to the state at large.
"DSIEC wishes to say that members of the commission were appointed by the state government to protect its overall interest at all times and not to seek the interests of their communities or constituencies parochially", Tebekaemi said.
He added that the creation of roads was an on-going exercise and advised aggrieved communities to channel their complaints to the commission.
According to him, the commission was willing and prepared to look at every complaint on its merit.
