The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra State Command on Tuesday, commenced training for its officers and men in its commitment to ensuring free, fair and credible polls in the forthcoming elections.
The training which drew participants from the Command’s Management Team, Area Commanders, Divisional Officers and Operational Staff of the Command, held at the Command Headquarters, Awka.
It also aimed at equipping personnel on intricacies of election conduct, general knowledge of what constitutes electoral offences, and strategies to defeat those who plan to constitute a clog in the wheel of the electoral progress of the country.
Declaring the training open in Awka, the State NSCDC Commandant, Mr. Isidore Chikere charged participants at the training to be extremely apolitical, treat all electorates with fairness and respect their fundamental human rights before, during and after the 2023 general elections.
He advised the officers to be firm, exhibit professionalism in discharging their duties by ensuring that voters, candidates, poll workers, observers, and other actors involved in an election experience a process free from fear or harm in addition to protecting both INEC sensitive and non-sensitive election materials.
Mr. Isidore warned the operatives against interfering with the election process, reminding them of the need to be discreet in their actions at the polling stations.
“This training has become very important to ensure that our personnel are informed on the need to be apolitical, avoid high- handedness, treat all electorates with fairness and respect their fundamental human rights before, during and after the 2023 general elections.
“Operatives are expected to be firm and professional in the discharge of their duties especially as it concerns protecting the election workers and the materials for the conduct of the exercise.
“They have to be ruthless to hoodlums who will want to disrupt the exercise but polite to citizens who have come out to exercise their civic responsibilities,” Chikere said.
The Anambra NSCDC boss reiterated the commitment of the Commandant General of NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, to sustain the core values of democracy in the country through fair, free and credible elections.
According to him, “since the atmospheres are as usual politically charged, the Command has also continued its statutory sensitizations and lectures for its officers and men to be well- informed and conversant with their duties to the members of the general public, most importantly during the momentum of the elections.”
Chikere further tasked the Area Commanders as well as Divisional Officers (DOs) to cascade the lecture and training to their respective personnel and strictly adhere to security agencies code of conduct while also helping to protect and preserve democracy.
“Meanwhile, with the appropriate mechanism already in place, the command is using this medium to appeal to the general public to stay clear of any acts capable of causing breach of peace and other laws of the federation as enshrined in the constitution, with a warning that those caught will be made to face the consequences of their actions,” Chikere said.
