Accord party’s presidential candidate, Professor Christopher Imumolen has suggested ways he thinks the Federal Government can effectively manage possible security challenges that might crop up in the forthcoming general elections.
Security problems have often tended to mar the smooth conduct of elections in the past with cases of thuggery, ballot box snatchings and assassinations of opponents erupting in several flashpoints across the country.
But while making his submissions on what he thinks is the best way to tackle the menace during February’s much anticipated elections, Professor Imumolen said massive recruitment of ad-hoc security personnel to cover for the shortfall in the available number of policemen and other operatives was the key to ensuring sufficient room is not left for evil minded persons to disrupt the elections in any way.
“From available statistics which peg the number of security men (policemen and others) at 350,000 all over the country, it is not possible to have adequate security cover for the 176,000 polling units on election day,” Professor Imumolen said in a recent interview with the Punch newspaper.
“And this shortage is what evil-minded persons intent on disrupting the elections would be looking forward to exploit and cause mayhem like they have always done in years past.
“Unmanned polling booths are a sure recipe for danger. Polling officials are not safe. Voters are not safe. Infact, just about anything can happen.
“This is why I would want to suggest that adhoc security personnel should be recruited and trained right away to help cover for the deficit we currently have.
“We should, as a matter of urgency, ask Nigerians who are patriotic and interested in seeing to the success of the upcoming elections to come forward and volunteer their services in order to ensure a hitch-free polls,” he added.
Professor Imumolen also hailed INEC’s decision to move from the old way of conducting elections with the analogue computer technology and embracing the simpler method of digital technology as it would enhance the whole process of voting, collation and announcements of results.
“INEC’s decision to embrace digital technology in place of the old analogue system in this election is a good development because it will be more efficient,” he said.
