12,000 policemen for Ekiti poll

12,000 policemen for Ekiti poll
on june 06, 2014 at 12:15 am in politics
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Allow us do our job, INEC Commissioner tells police
BY GBENGA ARIYIBI
12,000 policemen are to be deployed for the
gubernatorial election, the state commissioner of police
has warned.
Should the strength of the deployed policemen be
stretched, the authorities would not hesitate to shut
down the state, if only, to ensure that the environment
for a free and fair poll is allowed, Mr. Uyanna said at a
training workshop conducted for the police and other
security agencies ahead of the election.
The training workshop facilitated by British Department
For International Development( DFID) took place in Ado-
Ekiti with the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner,
Alhaji Halilu Pai, the State Sector Commander, Federal
Road Safety Commission, Mr Rindom Kumvent, men of
the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and 24
Divisional Police Officers in the State, among others in
attendance.
The INEC boss in his own submission at the workshop
counseled the police to give INEC officials a free hand in
the conduct of the election as he said that unhealthy
rivalry between the two bodies could mar the poll.
The police must be aware that many will not vote in this
election because of the fear and expectation that there
may be crisis.
So they must deploy more men to areas marked as
flashpoints and areas with history of violence for us to
achieve success.
It has happened in the past when our men were
ambushed by thugs while transporting materials to
election units and wards, particularly in very remote
areas. We have to checkmate this by ensuring that we
have enough police up to the hinterland.
The INEC boss warned the police against partisanship
and other acts that could erode their dignity in the face
of the right thinking members of the society.
We are going to provide stipends for the police, but this
is very small.
But you still have to choose between selling your
conscience or discharging your loyalty to a national
assignment because to us in INEC, there is no preferred
candidate. They are all the same as far as we are
concerned, Pai stressed.
Uyanna also disclosed that he has got assurances from
the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed
Abubakar that a total of 12,000 well trained policemen,
will be deployed to monitor the election, saying the
Command is battle ready to enforce orderliness during
the poll.