Aregbesola assures EU election monitoring team of security

Posted by admin Osun, State News Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

OSUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has assured European Union election monitoring team of adequate security in the state during the general elections.

Speaking in Osogbo while receiving the team on Tuesday, Aregbesola reiterated the commitment of his administration towards securing lives and properties during the elections.

The governor, who said his administration was acting in concert with security agencies to ensure adequate security, assured that lives and property were safe in the state.

A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, on Tuesday, said the state government had put in place certain strategy to guarantee security in Osun State.

The governor said, “Being the Chief Security Officer in the state, we have laid down all necessary plans to guarantee security, maintenance of law and order and the protection of every stakeholder that would be involved in the process of the elections either directly or indirectly. We are to ensure that nobody is at risk either before, during and after the elections.

“Our experience in the aborted election last Saturday was that, to a large extent, it went without any ugly incident. It was free and fair up till when it was aborted.”

Aregbesola restated his directive barring contestants and politicians from bearing arms and ammunition at polling booths, stressing that this move would curb violence during the election.

Commending the EU for its concern towards the sustenance of transparent process in the election, the governor said that the efforts of the union would go a long way in ensuring that democracy, which he described as the best form of governance, is sustained.

He said, “We really appreciate your efforts because we believe that there is no other system of effective governance apart from democratic system, because it is only through democratic arrangement that everybody could have direct stake in governance. So, it is our commitment to ensure that democracy takes root, germinate and grow firm in our state.”

Leader of the team, Hans Naraskog, stated that the team is part of 120 observers deployed to the state to monitor the polls.

She said that the team had met representatives of political parties, human right societies and security operatives to ensure that the elections are observed with success.

Naraskog called on the state government to support the team during its stay in the state.

-Punchwp_posts