Lagos declares 4 work-free days for PVC collection

The Lagos State Government has declared 4-day work-free days for public servants in the state to enable them to collect their Permanent Voters Cards at their respective Local Governments/Local Council Development Areas.

This was confirmed in a circular issued on Wednesday by the Lagos State Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, where he stated that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, graciously approved the work-free day for the public servants.

Muri-Okunola explained that the work-free day would commence on Tuesday, January 24, and end on Friday, January 27, 2023, for different grade levels of workers in the public service.

The Head of Service in the circular said, “Consequent upon the extension of the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards by the Independent National Electoral Commission, it is hereby notified for the general information that all public servants who are yet to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards from designated INEC Centers are encouraged to do so before Sunday, January 29, 2023, as it is a civic responsibility to vote.

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“To this end, Mr. Governor has graciously approved a work-free day to enable public servants to collect their PVCs from their respective local government/local council development areas as presented in the table below.”

The dates slated for the work-free days for different categories of public servants include Tuesday, January 24, 2023, for grade levels 01, 03, 07 and 15; Wednesday, January 25, 2023, for grade levels 02, 04, 08 and 13; Thursday, January 26, 2023, for grade levels 05, 09, 12, and 17; and Friday, January 27, 2023, for grade levels 06, 10, 14 and 16.

Muri-Okunola said enjoined accounting officers to excuse their officers in respective grade levels on the designated days.

He said, “Consequently, accounting officers and all public servants are to ensure compliance whilst giving this circular the service-wide publicity it deserves.’’

Recall that on December 12, 2022, INEC commenced the distribution of PVCs at its local government offices in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

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Meanwhile, INEC had on January 12, extended the deadline for the collection of PVCs by about a week following complaints and frustrations expressed by eligible voters over the delay and the very slow process involved in the PVC collection exercise.

The election umpire who had earlier fixed January 22, 2023, as the collection deadline for these PVCs, extended the deadline to Sunday, January 29, 2023.