INEC Identifies Security As Key To Election Success, Credibility

Ahead of the general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the role of security personnel is key to the success and credibility of any poll.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of in Rivers State, Ebo Efanga, stated this while declaring open a two day ‘election security personnel training of trainers for 2019 general elections’ the commission organised with support from the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) in Port Harcourt.
Efanga explained that the training was important for security personnel that would be involved in the forth-coming poll, noting that “The primary role in the election is on INEC and then the security agencies are only playing supportive roles. But their roles are also critical to the overall success of the elections and its credibility.
“So it is a training where we are going to talk to them (security personnel) about what is expected of them. We stressed the fact that this is a responsibility they owe to the country and so we expect them to act in the best of their abilities.
“We also expect they should be conversant with how the election is conducted. What the law says, what the regulation for the election says and what the stages for the elections are How close they can stand around the polling unit and those who are supposed to be around the polling unit and those who are not supposed to be around the polling unit.
“The distance they should stay and how to conduct themselves on the day of election. What is expected of them before, during and after the elections.  It is a very onerous task on them and we expect that this training will help them to have a better understanding and appreciation that their conduct goes to the success of the election,” he stated.
In his remark, representative of ECES, Fabian Marie said its collaboration with INEC on the training was to ensure that the general elections would be peaceful and credible.
Marie said achieving a peaceful and credible poll in Nigeria was not the responsibility of INEC alone, but every citizen, including security personnel and therefore called for collaboration of the security agencies and all stakeholders to ensure a hitch free and successful election.
He further said, “We are very proud to be able to participate in this training and give a little support that we can in order to achieve a peaceful election.
“So we will be here in Nigeria at this time and we hope that we can be safe. So we are wishing you (participants) a fruitful workshop and Nigeria a successful election,” Maria stated.
Some security agencies that participated in the training include the Nigeria Police, Army, Prisons Service, Immigration and the Nigeria Security and Defense Corps (NSCDC).

Dennis Naku