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As part of the preparations for the general
elections which begin this weekend, Police authorities have
re-deployed commissioners of police in charge of the various
state commands. In the same vein, the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) has reassigned the Resident
Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in charge of its affairs in
the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital
Territory. The re-deployments are said to be aimed at
strengthening the affected officers against corrupt
tendencies and undue influence from the state governments
during the elections.
The motive behind the re-deployments, on its face value, is
in order. It is part of the effort to ensure that the
general elections are largely free, fair and credible. This
is the desired goal which every well-meaning Nigerian should
aim at as we go to the polls in the next few days.
However, the steps taken by the police authorities and INEC
raise some salient issues. The re-deployment of police
commissioners as well as that of RECs was not total. In the
police exercise, four states, namely, Lagos, Ogun, Kwara and
Delta were not affected. The police authorities did not
explain why the aforementioned states were left out. If the
re-deployments, as has been noted, are aimed at shielding
the commissioners from undue influence, why is the exercise
not holistic? To move some and leave out others is to say
that those re- deployed have a tendency towards corruption
and that those left out are incorruptible. Is this what the
police authorities mean or is there a better reason for the
selective re-deployments?
Whatever the case, we are of the view that what the police
authorities should aim at is the achievement of desired
results. Movements or re-deployments cannot, in themselves,
make the officers concerned live above board. The need for
them to understand that their impartiality in the conduct of
the elections will go a long way in dealing a deadly blow to
electoral malpractices is of utmost importance. And if the
expectations from the commissioners will be met, the police
authorities need to go beyond the mere symbolism of
re-deployments. They should also be interested in the other
categories of police personnel who will be part of the
elections. The policemen who will be posted to the polling
stations have a lot of role to play in the success of the
elections. The authorities should extend their searchlight
to them.
The re-deployment of the electoral commissioners also raises
the same issues as that of the police commissioners. In the
case of the RECs, four states, namely, Lagos, Niger, Ekiti
and Bauchi were not affected. The reservations we expressed
in the selective re-deployment of police commissioners also
hold true here. What is to be said about the states not
affected? Are the RECs in those states insulated from the
reason behind the re-deployment of others?
But whatever the police and INEC hope to achieve in this
matter, the point must be made that the re-deployments are
coming a little too late in the day. To think that officers
who are new in the states of their posting will be less
prone to corrupt inducement is to miss the point. Those who
want to be unduly influenced can make themselves available
even within days of getting into the states. What the
authorities ought to have emphasised is the ability of the
commissioners, whether police or electoral, to be beyond
reproach. In our view, the newness of the police and
electoral commissioners in their respective states of
assignment may not be helpful. Routine re-deployments may be
desirable. But there is the need to give those re-deployed
sufficient time to know the environments where they are to
operate. A police commissioner who has a good knowledge of
his state of assignment will be in a better position to deal
with crime, violence, electoral fraud and other vices. The
same thing is true of a Resident Electoral Commissioner. The
re- deployments are therefore not timeous. They are too
close to the elections that the officers may find themselves
grappling with other factors that they may not have made
allowances for.
Whatever the case may be, the police and electoral
commissioners should realise that a lot depends on them in
this matter. Their new postings, we would like to believe,
is a reflection of the confidence reposed in them by the
authorities. They are expected to bring about a positive
difference in their places of assignment. It is our
expectation that they will discharge this responsibility to
the best of their abilities.
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