PRESS RELEASE
- IGP commends police for exceptional performance inOndo gubernatorial election
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, NPM, mni and the Force management team consider as topmost priority the welfare of its officers. The allowances of the force personnel who performed adhoc duties like election duties are treated with despatch. The recently concluded Ondo State gubernatorial election is not an exception.
- The news report in the Premium Times (online)on Wednesday November 30, 2016 with the caption “Nigeria Police lied, deceived the public on officers’ protest” and also a similar story published in Vanguard Newspaper of November 29, 2016 fall short of fairness and balanced reportage and was characterized by fallacy of generalization and inaccuracies.
- As earlier stated, “the Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically state that the allowances for the officers and men of the force that participated in the security operations for the elections are being paid. The payments were done through the banks into the account numbers submitted by the personnel in compliance with the policy of the Federal Government on Treasury Single Account (TSA) to ensure transparency and accountability.”
- The election security template put in place by the police management in accordance with democratic policing has proven to be the panacea to hitherto elections in Nigeria which were fraught with violence and wanton destruction of lives and property.
- The peaceful conduct of the Ondo election that has been adjudged free, fair and credible by all stakeholders, contrary to the wildly-held perception that it would be marred with large scale irregularities goes a long way to show that there is new progressive dawn in election security management in Nigeria. This paradigm shift has earned the police authorities a huge commendation from local and international observers and monitors.
- It would appear that this hard earned commendation of the police authority, which most Nigerians are desirous of being maintained in all subsequent elections did not go down well with some people who earn their living through being police critics and are bent on discrediting the electoral process by using unverified sweeping allegations as platform of misinformation and mischief.
- The Nigeria Police Force insists that upholding the integrity of the force and that of its officers is not to be compromised. Police officers by training are adherents of utmost discipline and respect for authorities. Protest is not part of our stock, and we do not subscribe to such nuances of the civil populace.
- The Inspector General of Police wishes to commend the police officers who participated in the recently concluded Ondo governorship election for their exceptional performance in ensuring that the process was conducted in accordance with international best practices. It is imperative that the feat recorded in the past two elections in Edo and Ondo states must be replicated in subsequent elections. The Nigeria Police management will continue to ensure that the principles of democratic policing remain the hallmark of all our operations.
DCP DON N. AWUNAH, fsi
Force Public Relations Officer,
Force Headquarters
