IGP Calls For Effective Inter-agency Collaboration

Ahead of the February 16 general elections, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris has called for effective inter-agency collaboration for the conduct of credible elections. Speaking at a two-day training for officers and men of the Police command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja, yesterday, the IGP, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of training, Sani Mohammed, enjoined personnel of the force and other security agencies deployed for election duties to abide by the Electoral Act and the 1999 constitution as amended. According to him, “There is no way you can change the rules of the game in the middle of the game.” The police boss charged the officers to maintain credibility, neutrality and professionalism in the discharge of their duties. Also speaking, the AIG in charge of zone 7, Abuja, Mr Godwin Nwobodo, said that if stakeholders play by the rules, elections would be without much challenges. He said that voters always tend to forgo their franchise during elections to avoid being caught up in election related conflicts. The commissioner of Police in the FCT, Bala Chiroma said that the training would afford the police and other security agencies to be better prepared for the elections. The commissioner, who suggested that the training be a continuous one, said it should also form an integral part of security preparation for subsequent elections. He said that the training would enhance the capacity of police personnel and other security agencies on election security management ahead of the upcoming general elections. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of FCT, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, said that 180,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were ready for collection in the territory. He urged voters to endeavour to collect their PVCs to be able to vote for candidates of their choice in the upcoming general elections. Project coordinator, European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), Mr Rudolf Elbling, said that the police and other security agencies have critical role to play in securing the electoral process. The training was organised by Hi Tech Security Services and Training Ltd in collaboration with the FCT Police Command.