Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has declared open the Nigeria Police Workshop on Election Security Management for the South East Zone.
The workshop which held in Enugu State, the administrative capital of old Eastern region, capital of South East region, capital of old Anambra State is aimed towards a safe, peaceful and secure elections come 2023.
Speaking at the event, which was held Saturday 20th August, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, ably represented by the State Special Adviser (SPA) on Agriculture, Engr. Mike Ogbuekwe, said Enugu is symbolic in the peace and stability of the region.
His words; “Enugu State has always witnessed secure elections since 1999, and 2023 will even be better due to the workshop” .
The Governor thanked the Nigeria Police for the partnership with the state that has led to security stability. He also thanked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for choosing Enugu as the venue for the workshop.
In his response, the IGP Mr. Usman Baba, while delivering his opening remarks said that the Police was building a robust synergy with other sister security organisations and formations to ensure that the 2023 election remained seamless and peaceful.
According to him, “we are brainstorming together to fashion out ways to deal with existing and emerging security threats head long within the South East, it is clear that with robust synergy, cooperation and joint operations in this areas will be the most peaceful and our people will surely come out to exercise their civic responsibility.”
He was represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr Isaac Akinmoyede.
Earlier, a former Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase (rtd), said that the workshop was meant for all security agencies and formations in South East, to get them ready for the task of a peaceful, credible and hitch free election in 2023.
Dr. Arase, who is a consultant in the workshop, said that the workshop would help to identify previous security gaps in election security, how to study trends and patterns of crimes before and during elections, and how effective to deal with it in a holistic and collaborative manner as well as pin point task and responsibility of each security agency concerned about election.
Speaking also at the workshop, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr. Abubakar Lawal, urged the people of the zone and the State not to express fears about the 2023 election.
“2023 election will hold and we are doing everything possible to ensure that our people do not have anything to worry about im terms of security.”
The workshop was attended by the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, Department of State Security and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Others include the Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Custom Service, Federal and State Fire Services as well as National Drug Law Enforcement Agency among others.
The workshop was initiated and organised by the IGP to further build the capacity of security agencies and their personnel concerned with election security.
More photos from the event:
