Students ask for legislation on electronic voting system in tertiary institutions

Opting for credibility, transparency and elimination of electoral fraud in tertiary institutions, representatives of students of some higher institutions in Imo State, have urged relevant legislative authorities to pass laws, to make it mandatory to use electronic voting system in all institutions in the country.

The group said such would be used during student leaders election on campuses. Student representatives of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri (AIFCE), Federal College of Land Resource Technology, Owerri ((FECOLART) and a Non Governmental Organization, headed by the programme Director of DD, Dr. Jude Ohanele made this known at the weekend in Owerri.

They also decried poor infrastructural facilities in their institutions, demanding urgent intervention by the relevant authorities to make specific laws of items and equipment’s that must be in place in various institutions.

Speaking during a two day roundtable interaction organized by the DD at City Global Hotels, Owerri, the student leaders, Friday Nweke (President), Andy Uche Opara (Speaker of the union), James Precious (Chairman of the institution’s students electoral body), all of the FECOLART and Nnaemeka Akanuo, among others, said the system of electing student leaders should be made transparent through electoral system as currently obtained in FUTO.

They regretted that facilities in their institutions were nothing to write home about. They therefore, called for an urgent attention. FECOLART students lamented that their hostels were sited inside what they called forests, without electricity supply and called for a state of emergency in the institutions.

The participants commended the Programme Director of DD for organizing a platform, where they could express themselves on their academic issues and their institutions generally.

The students argued that the standards for allowing eligible student candidates emerge be reduced from the present Cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5, to either 3 or 2.5, stressing that some students who score lower point could also lead very well.

“The body was committed to champion elimination of violence, hunger and enthronement of credible electoral process, to create a conducive environment in society, including intervention in 18 communities in six Local Councils in Imo state, primarily focused on citizenship engagement, encompassing three senatorial zones- Imo East, Imo West and Imo North,” Ohanele, said.