Mothers and children suffer heat, lack of water & sanitation facilities at registration centre
BY GEORGINA KEKEA
THE lack of sanitation facilities have been raised by those frequenting the registration booths in Town Ground.
While the registration process is being carried out smoothly, mothers and the elderly have complained about the lack of water and sanitation facilities.
An electorate from Baegu/Asifola says it is disheartening to see mothers and their children bearing the heat to carry out their democratic right to vote.
He says the process is an important one for the country, but the government fails to meet the needs of the people.
He said most of the mothers have no choice but to bring their children with them to the registration centre.
“The Registration Officers (ROs) are outnumbered. How can you expect one person to meet the demand of more than a thousand electorates each day?
“Some electors have been here the whole day but still have not been able to get their names registered because there are so many people.”
The senior electorate from Baegu/Asifola says this is why a lot of people are seen to be camping in the Registration area.
He said most have been there since the registration process commences last week. However he said only two days last week was allocated for Baegu/Asifola.
“Registration for Baegu/Asifola should be carried out daily and not twice a week as has been seen last week.
“If we only have two days a week for us to come and do our registration, it will not be enough.”
He said a lot of those to be registered are mainly those that have just turned 18 and those that have decided to come back to Baegu/Asifola to vote.
Meanwhile another electorate from Baegu/Asifola also support the call for government to find a suitable location for such a process to be carried out.
“It does not look good on the government when people come for such an important activity in the country, but there is no proper water and sanitation facilities for them.
“This is a national issue. Government cannot leave people like this.”
He said government should at least provide sanitation facilities for the people.
He said the people have no choice but to wait in line for their turn to register.
Most times the need to visit the toilet seemed to be a setback for the electorates.
He said with the amount of people queuing for registration, he is also skeptical the process will be completed within the timeline allocated for this process.
“How on earth will we expect two computers to match the thousands of people here to register?
“I don’t know if the timeline provided for the registration process will be enough. There are so many people and not much workers and computers. Of course such facilities as water and sanitation must be provided for the people.”
Most of the people spoken to at the Registration centre are those that have decided to switch constituency.
Some are mainly there to support other electorates from their constituency to register.
