By Williams Anuku, Abuja
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) submitted the report of the 2019 general elections on Friday, stressing the imperative of early release of budgetary allocation to enable timely procurement and deployment of relevant technology and materials.
Elections he stressed are a time-bound project that must be met with the needed resources and timely too.
The INEC chairman, in one of the reports, recommended the phased budgetary appropriation and funding of general elections, that allows for the spread of budget of general elections across at least three budget cycles.
He also hinted at a “comprehensive review of the functions and responsibilities of the Procurement Department with the view of improving its efficiency and capacity to deliver
In the report, the Commission also recommended an early commencement of procurement processes and timely release of adequate funds to the Commission for the procurement of required goods, works and services” amongst other recommendations.
It also advocated an early and effective engagement with relevant national institutions and mobilisation of relevant national assets for the production, receipt and deployment of sensitive election materials, as well as the early rehabilitation and repair of storage facilities in all LGA offices.
On the protracted election security issues, the INEC recommended that “Security agencies should deploy adequate number of security personnel to protect election officials and materials at Voter Registration Centres, PUs, RACS, Collation Centres and INEC offices nationwide.”
It noted the design and development of a National Security Plan on elections to identify and determine logistic or manpower as well as the “Deployment of the rapid response team to identified flashpoints prior to elections, taking into cognizance the Commission’s ERM report and similar reports from the security agencies;
” Incorporation of crowd management techniques recognition of IEDS, dealing with suspicious persons etc. in the training of security personnel on election duty, and establishment of a Special Election Monitoring Team (SEMT) by the Police with the specific mandate of monitoring and responding to all election-related threats in a proactive manner”.
