Legal Practitioner Wants Police Trained For 2011 Polls

A Legal Practitioner and leader of Ijaw Professionals Association,  Barrister Donald Horsfall has stressed the need for security agents to be properly trained and re-orientated on the nation’s electoral process to enable them cope with their responsibility during the 2011 polls.

Speaking to The Tide  at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Mr. Horsfall said security agents had important role to play if the forthcoming elections should be free, fair and peaceful.

He noted that elections were not supposed to be a do or die affair or conducted in a violent atmosphere because as he put it, leaders of the country are being decided during the exercise, pointing out that Police brutality and unfriendliness should be discouraged during elections.

“Police should stop dehumanising citizens considering their responsibility as law enforcement apparatus and protectors of lives and properties”, Mr. Horsfall said.

Mr. Horsfall stated that the body was mobilising Nigerians at all levels to ensure that the President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition to rule in 2011 is actualised and called on Nigerians and the people of the South-South, South-East and South-West regions to unite to make the hope realisable.

He charged every professional, irrespective of the trade, to understand the importance of election and the need to contribute towards its success, pointing out that for the country to achieve a credible election with credible leaders, all hands must be on deck.

“The Ijaw Professional Association is not relenting in its effort at contributing its quota towards ensuring that Nigeria gets to another level democratically”, Mr. Horsfall declared.

Shedie Okpra