Politics

CLEEN Foundation Election Security Support Centre (ESSC), on Monday, advised security agencies to sustain professionalism, ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Acting Executive Director of the foundation, Mrs Ruth Olofin, said this at an Osun post-election news conference in Abuja.

Olofin said that the overall conduct of security personnel at the polls was laudable and should be sustained, ahead of next year’s elections.

“We commend the early arrival of security agencies at various polling units and the adequate security personnel deployed across the 30 local government areas in the state.

“Our observers noted that 92.9 per cent of the security agencies had easily identifiable name tags and were very approachable in the discharge of their duties.

“We received and analysed reports that indicate that almost all the security personnel on election duty at the polling units in the state had no firearm.

“The security personnel with firearms were observed to be either at a distance from the polling units or patrolling the streets/roads in the state.

“The successes recorded by security agencies in the Osun governorship election should be sustained in the 2023 general elections,” she said.

Olofin noted that security agencies had improved in terms of handling elections.

She lauded what she called the impartiality of security personnel and the priority voting given to the elderly, pregnant women, nursing mothers and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Olofin said that the adequate deployment of security ensure orderliness in majority of the polling units, adding that the electorate felt safe and secure while exercising their civic rights.

Olofin recommended that security agencies be made to be properly address, investigate and prosecute electoral offenders to serve as deterrent to others.

She also recommended the continuous use of modern policing tools, such as use of helicopters, air drones and other policing devices to further enhance the conduct of elections.

The foundation’s Programme Manager, Mrs Chigorizim Okoro, called for collaboration and partnership among the various security agencies and election stakeholders to ensure sustenance of professional security conduct. (NAN)

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Tags: Chigorizim Okoro CLEEN Foundation Election Security Support Centre Ruth Olofin