By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Mahood Lekan Balogun on Tuesday, tasked the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to ensure that the 2023 general elections are held peacefully without any rancour or untoward occurrences.
Oba Lekan Balogun gave the task in Ibadan while receiving into his Alarere residence, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone XI (Zone 11), Mrs. Christy Cookey.
The Olubadan pointed out that in ensuring this, the Nigeria Police Force should do everything humanly and professionally possible to ensure a free, fair and generally acceptable polls.
” The 2023 general elections hold very crucial and strategic place in the live of this country, yet, the signs are ominous which is it becomes imperative to make this charge”, he said.
Oba Balogun added ” though, we have other security agencies whose roles in ensuring peace and security cannot be over-emphasized, but, being the traditional peace keepers and the most senior of all the security agencies, the police hold the ace when it comes to maintainance of peace and security”.
The Olubadan stressed further, ” let there be synergy between you and other sister agencies yo give us free and free from fear polls”.
Commending the police in the zone for the cooperation existing between the Force and the people, Oba Lekan Balogun said, “your officers in this zone have proved themselves to be thorough-bred professionals.”
” I can personally testify to the good working relationship between your people and my people through my Mogajis, who assist in ensuring that security and peace reign supreme in our localities”.
The AIG, Mrs. Cookey, while speaking said the Nigeria Police Force is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that the 2023 general elections are hitch-free, adding that the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali has been proactive in that regard as “he has been organizing regular conferences for us to keep us abreast of every development in the electoral system.
“To avoid our becoming stale, the IG ensures that we are not left with the knowledge of previous elections, rather, he gathers us together after each election to review what obtained and get reorientated for future exercises”, she said.
AIG Cookey added ” we are made to understand that each election comes with its peculiarities and we are always ahead of any situation”.
” There’s nothing anybody may want to bring up during election that we have no knowledge of and how to deal with such”.
