The Federal Government has ordered for the Police, 40,000 pieces of AK47 rifles with 20 million rounds of 7.62x 39 mm ammunition. It is all for the general elections.
Also ordered are 30,000 K2 rifles, 10 million rounds of 5.56 x45mm ammunition and 10,000 pieces of Beretta pistols with two million rounds of 9mm ammunition.
These firearms, which are due for delivery soon, are to ensure that the police have the capacity to tackle violence that may arise during the April elections.
Revealing these yesterday in Lagos the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr Sunday Ehindero said an order had been placed for more bullet-proof vests, helmets, arms and ammunition to enhance the capacity of his men to deal effectively with cases of insecurity in any part of the country during the electioneering period.
Ehindero who spoke in Lagos at a seminar on "2007 elections: The security challenges and the Rule of Law", organised by Lagos State council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), commended President Olusegun Obasanjo for working towards the effective operation of the police and for establishing the Presidential Committee on the Police Equipment Fund.
The IGP was represented at the event by the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG), Zone 2, Mr Israel Ajao, who assured all that the police are set to ensure violence-free polls in April.
He, however, advised that the government should work towards providing an atmosphere where people, parties, communities, politicians and all stakeholders can dialogue and get properly enlightened and their grievances addressed.
Ehindero added that police personnel and other security agents needed to be properly catered for to get the best out of them.
The IGP appealed to Nigerians to show understanding if during this election their rights are subjected to any form of control or curtailment as such a step is aimed at the overall best interest.
In his paper entitled: "The Role of the Courts in Ensuring Peaceful Elections in Nigeria," the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) commended the courts for being the true arbiter in election matters in a democracy.
Ojo, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Mr Uwakwe Abugu, said that one thing that is clear in the mind of all Nigerians is that the success of the April polls is very crucial in advancing the democratic norms and values of the country.
The Attorney-General lauded the courts for their role in the present dispensation.
"Under the present dispensation, the courts have modulated, moderated, directed and channelled the actions and inactions of both the citizens and the government in a way that is suiting to our democracy" he notes.
Ojo argued that "free and fair election is to democracy what water is to the fish. Any democracy lacking in free and fair election cannot answer to that appellation" .
"The beauty of democracy is its participatory nature and if it must be participatory, every qualified citizen should have the right to freely participate in the process".
Ojo argued that the role of the courts becomes more prominent in a democracy, especially after an election, because "it is only when a rigged election is struck down, an impostor is removed from office and all other conditions precedent to free and fair elections are met or declared by the courts, that we can be said to have peaceful elections".
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Lagos (NUJ), Mr Wahab Alabi Oba, said that the council decided to organise the seminar because of the need to properly enlighten Nigerians who in less than 60 days will be heading to the polls to choose their leaders.
"It is therefore very necessary for us to gather today to forge a common front for free and fair elections in the country," he said.
Other speakers at the event, which was chaired by the Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr Sam Amuka, included Group Managing Director of Champion Newspapers Limited Mr Emma Agu, National President, NUJ, Mr Ndagene Akwu and former Editor, National Interest and Media Adviser to the Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr Hakeem Bello.
Now we can be assured of a totally FREE and FAIR elections :-))
___________________ The Sun which rises from the East, shall ECLIPSE Nigeria (the spent asteroid) Posts: 92 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2006
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