CLEEN
foundation, a non-governmental organization is planning to place the about
23,000 police officers deployed to checkmate insecurity and violence during the
Edo governorship race on close marking.
Check
revealed that the officers are to motorize men for the rescheduled governorship
election in the state planned to hold Saturday, September 24.
According
to Benson Olugbuo, executive director, CLEEN foundation, “the organization will
be working closely with relevant stakeholders such as INEC, Security Agencies,
Media, Civil Society Organizations, Civil Society Situation Room, and Edo State
Civil Society Network”.
The call
centre will be open throughout the day in Benin City and our observers will be
on the field across the 18 local government areas of Edo state to get real time
information/reports on the conduct of security agencies during the election.
The
non-governmental organization, however, gave reasons why some areas may be
prone to danger and violence which may likely mar the September 28 election.
CLEEN
Foundation, while presenting a security brief on the election to the
Independent National Election Commission and the police in Benin, the state
capital, stated that such local government areas as; Oredo, Egor,
Igueben, Esan- Central, Etsako-West, and Orhiorwon.
The
group classified the six areas as “Risk”, for the election. Others areas with
lesser risk are, Etsako East, Esan West, Esan South, Ovia South-West,
Etsako-Central, and Akoko- Edo, while the remaining ones – Esan-North East,
Owan-East, Ikpoba- Okha, Ovia North Ease, Owan West, and Uhunmwode – were
listed as “minor risk areas”.
The
14-page report identified the likely cause of violence in such areas as mainly
the use of youth to light weapons, inciting speeches by politicians, late
deployment of INEC staff and materials, and the possible failure of card
readers, as factors that could likely spark off electoral violence, if not
contained.
CLEEN
said the risk analysis was done after talking with 783 respondents and experts,
in all the 18 local government areas of the states, as well as analysing
reports in the media. The
Executive
Director of CLEEN Foundation, Benson Olugbuo, said his organization believes
INEC and the police to make use of the report to conduct smooth election in the
state.
“INEC
should ensure that election personnel and logistics get to the remote areas on
time. This will reduce the waiting period before accreditation and voting can
commence, the report suggested.
INEC should deploy more than one smart card
reader in every polling unit so that if one fails the other can serve as back
up.
The
Commission should guard against last minute switching of ad-hoc staff which
hampers the smooth running of elections.”
The
group in their report advised the police and other security agencies to remain
non-partisan during the election.
“In
identified areas with potential for violence or habitual violence, security
agencies should act proactively by inviting the electoral violence
entrepreneurs in these domains for pre-emptive chats, the report suggested.
“The security agencies should have
intelligence units that monitor the behaviour of security agents deployed for
election field work. Such units should be able to make reports real time and
also get responses as the election is ongoing.
Civil society observer teams should not just
observe and report, but should have real time mechanism in place for connecting
field observations to those who have the capacity to correct polling-unit error
or intervening to put volatile situations under control. The use of social
media will be helpful in this regard.”
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