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Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
the Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 5, Dambaba Usman, has cautioned officers and men of the zone to avoid acts capable of undermining the nation’s peaceful electoral process. He also admonished them to be part of the history of the survival of the nation’s democracy.
He gave the advice at a capacity-building training programme on democratic policing and elections and security management for officers and men of Nigeria Police Force, organised by Hi-Tech Security Services and Training Ltd in collaboration with Nigeria Police Force, held in Benin.
“Do what is right so that you will be counted on the right part of history and not on the bad part of history because the election will come and go but the country will still remain. Bayelsa State will remain, Delta State will remain and Edo State will still remain.
“What is happening now is briefing and after the election there will be debriefing. There will be assessment and whatever we have done during that election will be brought to the fore and there will be appellation, praises, condemnation – all these will be brought out,” he said.
The AIG represented by the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosun, said the training had become paramount because of the responsibility vested on them as a law-enforcement agency to assist the Independent National Electoral Commission to bring about peaceful elections in the country.
Dambaba stated that it would be out of place if they were ignorant of how election is to be conducted in a democratic dispensation.
“The police should be well-equipped because there are two leading agencies that are conducting the elections, the police and the INEC,” he said.
In his speech, the organiser of the programme, Lawrence Alobi, said the training had become necessary because Nigeria being the giant of Africa, must be able to lead by example by conducting a free, fair and credible election and to achieve this, the police must be able to provide a peaceful atmosphere for it and promote the democratic values.
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“We are now in a democracy, so policing must be in conformity with democratic norms and values that is, respect for the rule of law, respect for human rights and ensuring that accountability and professionalism are also being observed.
“That is why you have been given this training to build your capacity on democratic norms and values that you need to exhibit in the course of your policing and law enforcement and also in an election like this, the in-thing now that is of more concern to Nigeria and the Nigerian people, is the 2019 general elections.
“The presidential election is coming up in less than two weeks from now; so you need to be properly prepared so that you can deliver the election that will be free, peaceful, fair and credible and without any intimidation.
“You are the leading agency and leadership determines followership and if the police are not equipped, how will you lead other agencies that are going to support you. That is why the IGP has deemed it necessary to give you this training.
“The lecture is very timely; it means the aspiration and inspiration of all Nigerians and the people of Nigeria; even the world is watching us; they say Nigeria is the giant of Africa, the whole world will see us, the international bodies are here; they are watching us and you security agency,” he said.
