The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Mutiu Agboke, has expressed worries about the arson attack on the Ede South Local Government of the Commission in the State.
Mr Agboke who was until recently the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo State said though the commission did not lose any sensitive or Non Sensitive materials to the attack but remains worried at the attack.
He added that the commission is working in synergy with Security Agencies in the State to ensure that no other facilities belonging to it is attacked or becomes victim of arsonists.
He said in view of the looming General Election in 2023, the commission will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect its facilities in partnership with the Security agencies in the State.
Yes, of course. Somebody with a sinister motive will not give you notice that he was coming to unleash terror on you, of course, for us in the Ede south local government office of INEC, we were very lucky, so to speak, because no massive damage was recorded. It was only our conference room alone that was gutted by fire and affected by some set of furniture, tables, chairs and things like that.
Our sensitive materials are non-sensitive. Materials are very much intact. Nothing happened to them. And the security agencies, they are very much on the same page with us.
They are trying to see what other measures that can be put in place. The Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr Faleye Olaleye, even this morning, trying to go out and see what security measures can be put in place to secure our other local government offices.
So for us in Osun State, all our materials are intact, nothing whatsoever affected them.
I wouldn’t know. Maybe you need to get the PRO of the police to see something on that. What we know is that INEC as a body, is already looking at the options available for us to be able to see how we can fortify our offices further. Bear in mind that we have a few months to the general elections.
Yes, the Commission is very worried. Of course, it was not a thing of joy for us because at this point some of the materials have been moved to this local government. It would be very painful for us as a commission to lose any of these to hoodlums.
And I think the commission is not happy. It’s very worried about it. And that is why extraordinary ICES meeting is ongoing at the next headquarters. I know after the meeting the statement will be issued and I’m sure security arrangements will be stepped up in all our offices, including the state offices of the commission.
