22nd October, 2010
The Obafemi Awolowo Institute of Government and Public Policy, OAIGPP, recently held a public lecture on the need to enlighten and sensitise the electorate on governance and civil responsibility.
The chairman of Board of Trusteees of the Institute, Chief Bisi Akande, explained that the enlightenment became necessary to avert the electoral debacle of 2007, which exposed the country to mockery in the comity of nations.
Delivering a lecture on “Security Institution and Electoral Reforms,†the guest speaker, former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Musiliu Smith, asked Nigerians to recognise and learn to defend their electoral rights, stressing that there can only be free and fair elections when voters insist on electoral sanity.
He said the current size of the police and its poor funding by the Federal Government may undermine effective policing of the electioneering process.
He called for the review of the level of preparedness of the security agencies, in view of the relationship between effective security and conduct of free and fair elections.
He said, although the police carry out major security responsibility during elections, its performance is retarded by logistic problems.
“With a staff strength that is still under 500,000, specialist inclusive to cover, at least, 120,000 polling stations and annual poor funding that makes it impossible to provide officers and men with attractive and motivating service condition and necessary logistics in the right quantity and quality, it will be sheer wishful thinking to expect effective performance.
“Other security agencies that normally collaborate with the police to provide security for our elections also experience similar problems,†Smith stressed.
He established a connection between poor elections and police inadequacies, pointing out that as electoral offences and violence loomed, police were not in a better position to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to book.
Smith maintained that, unless the Federal Government fulfill its promise to transform the police into a professional, highly motivated, well trained and adequately equipped force, policemen on electoral duty next year would still be handicapped.
“For 2011 elections, immediate measures should be taken to re-organise and empower the security institutions to ensure they are well prepared and positioned for the challenges ahead,†he advised.
