The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has sensitised its senior officers on election monitoring and security.
The sensitisation was held in Osogbo on Tuesday at the premises of the NSCDC Osun State Command with the theme: The Roles Of Security Agencies In The Electoral Process.
Speaking at the event, Adeyinka Ayinla, the Assistant Commandant in charge of “Zone J”, comprising Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states, said the exercise was important given the crucial role security agencies play during elections.
He said maintenance of law and order as well as the security of lives and election materials rested squarely on the performance of the security agencies.
According to him, the special election training given to officers of the corps coupled with their professionalism would help them douse any form of tension before, during and after the polls.
He said: “Anxiety is usually heightened by the turbulent history of the transition from one civilian government to another in Nigeria.
“It is therefore essential that security agencies on election duty display the highest level of integrity, neutrality, professionalism and sense of duty in order to reassure the voters that their safety and security are guaranteed”.
“The protection of human lives, voters, electoral materials, officials and preservation of lawful and orderly electoral processes are necessary for free and fair election, hence this sensitisation programme.
” The involvement of the security agencies in the electoral process can help ensure the security of the electoral processes”, he added.
The Assistant Commandant further said that NSCDC, in conjunction with other security agencies, was poised to help maintain the sanctity of Nigeria’s electoral process by being fair and neutral.
He said the Corps would deploy 15,000 personnel to Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states, ahead of Saturday’s Presidential election and the subsequent Governorship, National and State Assembly elections.
He also assured the electorate that members of the corps would take necessary measures to prevent violence and all activities that could disrupt the elections.
In his remarks, the Ondo State Commandant of the NSCDC, Olatundun Olayinka, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues from Osun and Ekiti, said all the senior officers trained would distill the knowledge gained to their men on the field.
NAN/N.O
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