The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has inaugurated a 13-member security sub-committee for the 2019 general elections in Ebonyi.
The sub-committee was inaugurated by Mr Titus Sumba-Lamorde, the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi Command and chairman of the Inter Agency Consultative on Election Security (IACES), on Friday in Abakaliki.
The 13-member sub-committee has the mandate to articulate security strategies ahead of the 2019 general elections in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sub-committee was made up of representatives from security agencies in IACES, including Police, Army, Prisons, Road Safety, Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, Civil Defence, Immigration, among others.
The police boss, represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Samuel Yomi, urged committee members to discharge their duties with diligence.
According to him, the establishment of the IACES sub-committee is one of the decisions reached at the IACES meeting held recently.
He noted that providing effective security at elections called for synergy and collaboration among security agencies and personnel involved in elections security.
He observed that security was critical in any election, saying that problems were bound to occur if adequate security measures were not in place to secure lives and election materials.
He said that the strategic security arrangements being put in place by INEC ahead of the elections was to ensure that no aspect of security issues was compromised.
He said: “Security is not a one man business, it is a joint effort and collaboration and we have to synergise and that is why we have so many people who are security officials in the committee.
“Security is one of the essential things to think and talk about preparatory to any election and where security is in-adequate or lacking during election there is likely going to be problem”.
He said that INEC was thinking ahead of 2019 general elections to put in place strategies to enhance security arrangements before, during and after the elections.
