INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu
2023: INEC begins distribution of non sensitive materials to Enugu LGAs
From Chinedu Nwafor Abakaliki
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has commenced distribution and deployment of non sensitive materials for the general elections to 17 local government areas in Enugu State.
The INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, disclosed this on Wednesday during the Interagency Consultation Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting held in Enugu.
Mr Chukwu said with the success of the mock accreditation done on the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) on Saturday, Feb. 4, in the state, the commission was well prepared for the general election.
He assured that the commission would implement other schedules within the time lines of the elections.
“The arrangement for, and actual distribution or deployment of non sensitive materials to 17 local government areas and INEC Registration Area Centres (RAC) will commence after the ICCES meeting.
“On this, INEC is appealing to security agencies to beef up security in these INEC facilities as we brace up for free, fair and credible elections,” he said.
Chukwu also revealed that the woman involved in the alleged viral video spotted extorting N1,000 for issuance of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) had been arrested, investigated and charged to court.
“Since, it is a court matter now, we will seize to comment on it but allow the case to run its natural course,” he said.
According to the REC, as part of the preparations for the general elections, the commission carried out an intensive training of corps members on election matters on Tuesday at the state’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Awgu.
“We have concluded a train-the-trainers course for security agencies; done a refresher train-the-trainer for our staff on the BVAS as well as training of supervisors that will further step the training down to council areas and RAC centres,” he said.
CP Ahmed Ammani, the state’s Commissioner of Police and Co-Chairman of ICCES, assured INEC and the REC of more deployment would be made to INEC offices and facilities within the state.
He also confirmed the arrest, investigation and current prosecution of the woman allegedly extorting residents of Emene before issuing out their PVCs to them.
“We are clearly ready for the general elections and we are crossing the “T”s and dotting the “I”s currently on our deployment and other covert security strategies.
“The various security agencies for the elections have continued to do training for the elections both as individual security agencies and collectively on a joint basis,” the commissioner said
