Bayelsa decides: Police deploy 14,000

Bayelsa decides: Police deploy 14,000
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By Our Reporter  on December 2, 2015   Politics
…2 DIGs, 2 AIGs, 3CPs to monitor election
The Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase has disclosed that 14,000 Police Officers and men would be deployed to Bayelsa State for the Saturday governorship election.
 The 14,000 Policemen would assist the two Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGs), Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5 and zone 6 and two Commissioners of Police that have been deployed to the state.
 He assured the people of the state that the police will ensure robust security for the distribution of materials and INEC officials and ensure that the election is peaceful, free and fair.
Arase denied that the Police is part of a grand plan by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the election using federal might, noting the Police is apolitical which is to provide the enabling environment for INEC to conduct the election.
He said the roads, waterways and creeks of the state will be shut down during the duration of the election in the eight local government areas of the state.
On the allegation and counter allegation by the political parties on the recruitment of thugs and deployment of fake policemen for the election, Arase said such investments by any of the political parties is a waste as the police has initiated special identification code for proper identity fixation of personnel during the polls,
“We did it few weeks ago in Kogi and we are going to replicate it here. We are going to deploy 14,000 officers to all the eight local governments and the water ways. We are ready. It would not be possible to bring fake Policemen because we have identification for all the Policemen. Anybody that is investing by trying that is bad investment because it is not going to work. The Police is apolitical, we are law enforcement agents to enforce law. Our own is to provide the enabling environment for people to vote. I don’t know about how the issue of federal might, that cannot happen under my watch. We have developed a unique identification number for the police. All those who invested their time and money to sow uniforms and recruit fake policemen should consider it a bad investment.”
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INEC deploys additional 52,000 PVCs, insist on card reader
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that additional 52,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been delivered to be used for Saturday governorship election.
 The non-arrival of the 52,000 PVCs from the continuing registration exercise conducted recently had heightened fears that there is a grand plan to disfranchise some Baylesans
 The Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmud Yakubu stated this in an interview shortly after meeting with the Inspector- General of Police( IGP), Mr Solomon Arase at the Bayelsa state.
Yakubu who was accompanied to the Bayelsa State Police headquarters by some members of the INEC management team explained that the Commission would ensure a free, fair and credible election in the state.
 According to him, the PVCs for Sagbama,Yenagoa,Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma local government areas have been delivered to the Resident Electoral Commissioner and the commission would look for effective ways to distribute them before the election.
 “INEC is fully prepared for the election. We have come to speak with all the stakeholders before the election. You remember on November 10, the governorship candidates signed the famous peace accord and we are happy that the candidates are abiding by the terms of the peace accord. We are going to speak to them to reassure them that nobody but Bayelsans would elect their governor on December 5. They should come out to exercise their vote. They should freely vote as the election would be free and fair. The election is in two dimensions. INEC would conduct the election and the Police would provide the enabling environment and that is why I am with the IGP so that the Police can provide the enabling environment for free, fair and credible election.
 “The PVCs have been delivered this morning to the state REC. We would address the stakeholders and discuss the modalities to share them. We would look for effective means to distribute them. We would welcome suggestions to ways to distribute them.
“Let me reiterate again that all the 52,000 PVCs are in the state for distribution. No Bayelsan would be disfranchised. The PVCs would be distributed before Bayelsa go to the poll on Saturday”, he said.
On the issue of card reader for the election, Yakubu stated that the card readers which were used in the Kogi governorship election was also used in the bye election held in Plateau State and it would be used for the Saturday election.
 “We are confident of the card reader. They have passed all verifiable tests. They have been charged and we have back up. I would say that on Saturday, election accreditation would be done on the basis of card reader. No card reader, no voting. But where incident forms will be used, we have instructed that the voters should be verified through provision of passport photograph and it tallies with picture on the voters’ card.”
 He said the commission will ensure that no Bayelsa voters is disenfranchised in the Saturday election,” whether you are living along the coastline or upland in Bayelsa and you are a voter, you will not be disenfranchised in the coming poll. We will have a credible poll”