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IbomIdongesit Ashameri
The Obidient Movement in Akwa Ibom State has launched the GO-MERD Campaign to promo electoral integrity and empower the people of Akwa Ibom State to take ownership of the electoral processes .
Dr. Ben Smith, State Coordinator of the Obidient Movement in Akwa Ibom State while addressing launch, said the GO-MERD
which means; “Get Organised – Make Election Rigging Difficult”, is revolutionary because it places the burden of ensuring electoral integrity in the hands of the people.
“We stand upon the threshold of history at this most defining moment in the life of our nation, if we must bequeath a brighter future to our children and generations yet unborn,” Dr. Smith stated.
Smith said the Obidient Movement in Akwa Ibom State is driven by selfless ambition, genuine patriotism, love for nationhood, and a deep yearning for a New Nigeria led by competence, character, and compassion.
The state coordinator who said the movement seeks to empower youths to be active stakeholders in shaping Nigeria’s collective destiny, added that Akwa Ibom State is rich in mineral resources and with hardworking youths, who remains trapped in poverty and underdevelopment due to misrule.
In his words; “The Get Your PVC & GO-MERD campaign provides us with a veritable tool to arrest this menace. It places the responsibility of the change you seek in your hands. If our current plight must take a new turn and birth the New Nigeria that we seek, then Akwa Ibom must embrace Get Your PVC & GO-MERD.
“A New Nigeria is POssible. But it will not happen if we fold our arms. It will not happen if we sell our conscience for a pot of porridge. It will not happen if we fail to act. Today, our mothers still sell peppers with candlelight because electricity is a luxury. Our fathers toil in the oil fields but cannot afford to send their children to quality schools.
” Our hospitals echo not only with the cries of the sick but also of unborn babies whose first tears are shed in darkness because there is no power. Shall we stand idle while kleptocrats mortgage the destiny of our children yet unborn? Shall we keep silent while the sweat of our fathers and the prayers of our mothers are wasted? This is the moment. Get Your PVC & GO-MERD Akwa Ibom State if your answers to these questions are an emphatic no.
“Let us remember the sacrifices of those who came before us: the founding fathers who fought for Nigeria’s independence, the fearless activists who gave their lives for free, fair, and credible elections, the martyrs of June 12 who declared that the will of the people must stand. Their voices echo today, asking: Will you let our struggles be in vain?’
Smith maintained that the struggles of the people, where mothers sell peppers with candlelight due to lack of electricity, and fathers toil in oil fields but can’t afford quality schools for their children was the driving force of the movement.
The Get Your PVC & GO-MERD campaign, according to him provides a tool to address these challenges by placing the responsibility of change in the hands of the people.
“INEC has opened voter registration, and eligible sons and daughters of Akwa Ibom can register online or in-person in INEC offices across the 31 LGAs”. He said
He said “the Obidient Movement is about millions rising with one voice, declaring that enough is enough. It’s about a new mindset for a new Nigeria”. He therefore encourages Obidients to join or create voting blocs and enroll at least 100 persons per unit for solidarity against vote buying.
“Together, we will build the Nigeria of our dreams. Get Your PVC & GO-MERD in Akwa Ibom State.” He assured
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Idongesit Ashameri
IDONGESIT ASHAMERI is a dynamic and accomplished media professional with over 20 years of expertise in journalism, public relations, and marketing communication. Holding a B.A. in Communication Arts, an M.A., and a Ph.D. in Mass Communication with a specialization in Public Relations and Marketing Communication from the University of Uyo, she has also enhanced her expertise through local and international professional training. Dr. Ashameri has deep passion for human-interest stories, investigative journalism, and academic research, and her contributions include published journal articles on media violence, political advertising, and media language. As State Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of NUJ, from 2019-2024, Dr Ashameri’s influence helped shape professional standards and foster collaboration within the field. She is an active member of esteemed professional bodies, including the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). Dr. Ashameri is married and a proud mother of three.
Source: Independent.ng | Read Full Story…
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