A non-profit Organization, Pan African Women Trust, have frowned at the rate of violence recorded in some polling units in Akwa Ibom state during the just concluded gubernatorial elections and called for stiffer sanctions on sponsors of such violent attacks.
The group made their position known when they paid a visit to the victims of election violence at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Uyo.
The Organization’s head of mission Dr. Eben Udensi, who said they were in the hospital to ensure that the victims’ welfare is not neglected also called on appropriate security agencies to investigate those cases of violence and visit stiffer sanctions on those found culpable.
She said the organization has evidence that will help them substantiate their allegations in the court of law including eye witnesses who were at the scenes of these incidents.
“Having successfully observed elections in countries like South Africa and Malawi in 2014, Cameroon and Zambia 2017, Mali and Sierra Leone in 2018, and in Bayelsa and Kogi states, Nigeria, INEC once again chose us alongside 28 others to observe the 2019 general elections with due accreditation.
“We recruited 194 6 ad hoc staffs who are graduates but unemployed. We trained them and gave them kits.
“We sent them to the field and that is how we were able to monitor situations at the various polling units and we got to know that one Barrister Raymond was shot by one honourable Kufre Etuk.”
