Onovo assures of fraud-free polls in 2011
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- Category: Politics
- Published on Thursday, 29 April 2010 08:24
- Written by Nation
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The Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo has assured Nigerians of the determination of the Nigerian Police to ensure violence-free elections next year.
Onovo spoke yesterday in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital, through the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Mr. Olusegun Efuntayo.
The IG said the police were ready to crack down on election criminals and achieve violence-free polls.
He directed Deputy Inspectors-General in the 12 zonal commands to asses and sensitise members of the public on their level of crime prevention measures and preparedness for the forthcoming polls.
Efuntayo said: "Insecurity in some parts of the country informed the decision of the IGP (Onovo) to detail members of his management team (DIGs) to 12 zonal commands to appraise the crime prevention measures put in place by the AIGs and Commissioners of Police and their preparedness for the electioneering campaign in 2010 and the general elections in 2011."
He assured that the police would not allow the election to be rigged or marred by violence.
He said: "We are assessing them (policemen) to know their strengths and lapses so that we can work on them before the election."
The police chief noted that the good job policemen have done gave Nigerians credible elections in Anambra State and the FCT Abuja.
Onovo urged the police chiefs to reawaken the personnel to be more alive and adhere to their statutory duty of protection of lives and property, he said.
According to him, the tour was to restore confidence in members of the public on police’ readiness to serve the citizenry.
Also, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Mr John Ahmadu, has warned that any policeman who takes any form of inducement from politicians or their agents will not only be sacked but also charged to court.
The police chief gave the warning in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, saying the Federal Government has approved the release of N2billion for the police housing projects for officers nationwide.
Hamza was in the state to assess the preparedness of the force for next year’s general elections.
Ahmadu charged the officers not to destroy their career by compromising their professional ethics, because of what he described as "chicken fees from politicians."
He assured the policemen that all their allowances would be paid before the elections.
He called on politicians to warn their supporters to restrict their campaigns to their manifestos, urging them to play the game according to the rule.
