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Tag: sensitive materials

  • Stakeholders inspect sensitive materials before distribution

    Stakeholders inspect sensitive materials before distribution

    Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that sensitive materials for the election will be distributed on Thursday.

    The electoral body disclosed this during the inspection of the sensitive materials by major stakeholders in the state.

    With the inspection done at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), where the materials were housed upon arrival, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, explained that the reason for the inspection of the sensitive materials was in a bid to show transparency of the commission.

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    Babalola noted that showing the stakeholders that the sensitive materials were still sealed and not tampered with showed that the commission is committed to delivering a free, fair, and credible election.

    She said, “We have our schedule for distribution of materials. We received the materials on Monday; we scheduled Wednesday for the inspection of the materials; the distribution is going to be on Thursday.

    “The reason we invited critical stakeholders such as security officers, political parties, observers, and the media, among others, to this inspection is to show transparency of all the sensitive materials as they were received. You could see that they were wrapped; nobody had tampered with them.

     “When we come tomorrow (Thursday) for distribution, we will open them Local Government by Local Government, give them to the Electoral Officers, and we will start with the most far LG so that they can get to their LG on time. When they get to the LG, they will start distributing to registration areas and polling units.”

  • INEC distributes sensitive materials to councils in Ekiti

    THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti State has distributed sensitive materials across the 16 local government areas for the conduct of House of Assembly election scheduled for Saturday.

    The distribution, according to the state’s Acting Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Muslim Omoleke, was done in the presence of security operatives and various parties’ representatives.

    The governorship election was held in the state on July 14, 2018, which produced Dr. Kayode Fayemi, leaving the state with only Assembly election.

    Speaking with reporters in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Omoleke assured that the commission won’t disappoint Ekiti voters with the conduct of the election.

    He advised the commission’s regular and ad hoc staff not to be partisan by displaying high level of neutrality and shunning any  corrupt tendencies that could cast a pall on the electoral process.

    “The sensitive and non-sensitive materials have been distributed to all the council areas under heavy security cover.

    “We are not taking anything for granted. We tracked all the vehicles to ensure that those materials were not diverted but delivered at the appropriate place.

    “We did not only distribute the materials, but we partnered the security agencies to ensure that they are on ground in all the LGs to protect them till Saturday.

    “Early on Saturday, the materials will be distributed to the wards for onward distribution to the units.

    “Our projection is that the elections must start at 8am simultaneously in all the 2,195 polling units on Saturday,” Omoleke said.

     

  • INEC deploys sensitive materials in Akwa Ibom

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun deploying sensitive electoral materials to the 31 Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, stated this while addressing party agents, international observers and security agencies. According to him, the commission will do everything within its power to conduct a hitch-free election.

    Read also: Court quashes Edo Speaker’s suit

    Igini said: “We have continued what we have been doing in the last few days in preparation of our re-scheduled elections. What you are seeing here is what is left of the materials for Saturday’s elections.”

    He regretted that the commission could not move all the materials as at last Friday, February 15.

     

  • INEC begins deployment of sensitive materials in A/Ibom

    The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has commenced the deployment of sensitive electoral materials to the 31 local governments in Akwa Ibom State.

    Akwa Ibom Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Mike Igini, who disclosed this while addressing to party agents, international observers and security agencies said the commission will everything within its power to conduct a hitch-free exercise.

    Read Also: INEC begins deployment of electoral materials in Ekiti

    Igini said: “We have commenced the continuation of what we have been doing in the last few days in preparation of our re-scheduled elections. What you are seeing here is what is left of the materials for the conduct of the rescheduled elections.”

    He regretted that the commission could not move all the materials as at last Friday, February 15.

  • Polls: Police deploy more personnel in CBN

    The Ekiti State police command has intensified the security protection around the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Ado Ekiti branch where election materials retrieved are deposited.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Saturday retrieved electoral materials deployed for the conduct of the National Assembly and presidential elections scheduled for February 16 across all the 16 local government areas of the state.

    INEC took the decision following the postponement of the elections to February 23 and March 9 citing logistical and operational challenges.

    The Police Commissioner, Mr. Asuquo Amba , who said there is no room for security lapses for the success of the forthcoming elections, added that the deployment of more security men was to safeguard the sensitive materials kept in the bank .

    Read Also: Polls shift: APDA backs INEC for credible election

    Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti on Monday, Amba assured all the political parties that the materials are under safe custody and thorough security protection.

    Amba, who spoke through the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, said: “If you visit the CBN office in Ekiti now, you will see more security men around the place. We are cognizance of the fact that security lapses could mar these coming polls and we are guarding against that.

    “As we speak, we have drafted more mobile policemen and our men from the Special Protection Unit(SPU), who are specially trained on how to protect election materials are there.

    “We are working round the clock to block all loopholes criminals can use to truncate the process here in any, so there is no cause for worry .

    “Our people, particularly all parties should be rest assured that we shall ensure that all the materials are delivered to the designated points, no room for diversion”, he said.

    The CP commended the residents for their peaceful and violent free gestures, disclosing that the command has not arrested anyone in connection with any form of violence since electioneering activities begin in the state.

    Speaking on the allegations raised by the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) , Barrister Gboyega Oguntuase that his members were attacked in Igbara Odo and Omuo Ekiti by suspected party thugs, Amba said : “We have not received any formal petition from the party concerning this.

    “This command is apolitical and neutral, so if we have any evidence of attack by any party, we are going to investigate and whoever found guilty shall be arrested and prosecuted accordingly”, he stated.

    He added that the three other Commissioners of police deployed to the State by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu for the purpose of the election have been directed to return to Abuja temporarily due to the postponement.

    “They have been asked to return to Abuja temporarily and by Thursday, they will return to Ekiti. The essence of their presence in the state was to make sure we have strong security across the three senatorial districts, because each commissioner is to man each of the districts for better performances of our men”, Amba said.

  • INEC to retrieve all sensitive materials in Enugu–REC

    Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Emeka Ononamadu, of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu State has said that all sensitive materials already distributed in the state would be retrieved.

    The Rec said the materials would be  returned to the custody of  Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) branch in the state.

    Ononamadu said this at a news conference on Saturday evening in Enugu.

    “We have been directed to return all the sensitive materials to the CBN, Enugu.

    “And the process is already on as I am briefing you now under heavy armed security to ensure that integrity of the materials will be ensured.

    “It will be in the protective custody of the CBN, under heavy security presence, until Wednesday when it will be escorted by the same security personnel back the council headquarters.

    “While in the following day, beginning from Thursday, the sensitive materials will be moved to the Registration Area Centres (RAC) under heavy security as well,’’ he said.

    He assured residents of Enugu State of the integrity of the electoral materials especially the sensitive materials – ballot papers, its accessories and result sheets.

    The REC, who expressed regrets for the postponement and inconveniences it might have caused said the decision was taken to protect democracy.

    “It is a painful decision but one that must be taken to ensure integrity, a free and fair process,’’ he said.

    Ononamadu, however, noted that few lapses observed in the commission’s work in the state would be corrected before Saturday.

    The REC also revealed that over 1.7 million Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) had been collected so far among the 1.9 million registered voters in the state.

    “I will urge the residents of the state to keep faith with the commission as we are poised to organise credible, fair and free elections come Feb. 23,’’ he said. (NAN)

  • INEC begins distribution of sensitive materials in Imo

    The distribution of sensitive materials for the presidential and National Assembly elections started in Imo State at about 1.30pm yesterday.

    Stakeholders expressed worry that the delay in the commencement of the distribution of the materials may affect the conduct of Saturday’s (today) election.

    But the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Francis Ezeonu, assured that voting will commence at scheduled time on the day of election.

    He said that the materials, despite the initial delay will arrive at the polling stations by 8am.

    According to him, “This exercise was supposed to be concluded yesterday (Thursday) but the materials are enormous due to the number of political parties participating in the election. We had logistics problem initially but we have gotten over it and we will be lifting the materials to the council areas and the RACs from where it will be taken to the polling units”.

    Ezeonu also confirmed that all the materials needed for Saturday’s (today’s) election have been received.

  • ‘Stop using sensitive materials to wrap groundnut, roasted plantain’

    Society of Nigerian Archivists (SNA) President Professor Olutayo Adesina has warned against using sensitive materials to wrap groundnut and roasted plantain.

    He spoke yesterday during the celebration of International Archives Day organised by the State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB) at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Adesina said the cavalier manner in which documents were handled by those who should know better led to the leakages of sensitive documents from high and low offices.

    This, he added, also resulted in their commodification.

    “It is therefore not strange nowadays to see fresh and sensitive papers being used by roasted groundnut sellers,” he said.

    He said that was unlike in the colonial days when documents and their preservation were matters of routine.

    Adesina said if records were not well taken and archived, the country would continue to make mistakes and would soon lose a substantial part of its heritage.

    LASRAB Director-General Biodun Onayele said the theme of the event, “Records and archives management in public service: a key to good governance and quality service delivery,” was picked to look at the lapses in the recording and archiving information in the state in order to proffer solutions.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said records of past events provided useful information necessary for proper understanding and sound decision making for the future.

    Represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-governmental relations, Mr Oluseye Oladejo, Ambode implored LASRAB to continue to demonstrate diligence in ensuring that documents and items of historical values were preserved in line with global best practices.

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy Kehinde Bamigbetan demanded public disclosure of the late Bashorun M.K.O Abiola’s last moments.

    According to him, the proceedings of the meeting that the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 election participated in before his death should be made public.

    Bamigbetan said the public disclosure would help put in perspective the activities that led to Abiola’s death, thereby confirming or disabusing the claim that he died after taking tea at the meeting.

  • INEC moves sensitive materials

    INEC moves sensitive materials

    The headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bayelsa State was yesterday cordoned off, as the commission moved sensitive materials to its offices in the eight local governments.

    Vehicles were barred from passing through the road leading to the INEC head office on the Swali Market Road, Yenagoa, by stern-looking armed mobile policemen.

    People, who had business in the area, were ordered to park their vehicles and trek to their destinations.

    INEC spokesman Timidi Wariowei said the commission had distributed sensitive materials to the councils.

    He listed the materials as card readers, result sheets and ballot papers.

    Wariowei said INEC had sent non-sensitive materials, such as ballot boxes to the local governments.

    He said the collation result sheets would later be handed over to the collation officers.

    His words: “We have started distributing materials for the election. We have already sent non-sensitive materials. What we are distributing now (yesterday) are sensitive materials, such as card readers, result sheets and ballot papers. The collation result sheets will later be given to the collation officers.”

    Wariowei said the transportation of the materials was policed.

    He said the materials would be protected by security operatives, pending their distributions to the INEC registration areas.

    Wariowei said the commission was prepared for the elections, adding that the allegation of fake Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in circulation had been reported to the police.

    He urged the police to arrest anybody found with fake PVCs.