The Field Commander, Osun State Amotekun Corps, Amitolu Shittu, on Friday, urged operatives of the corps to comport themselves in a peaceful manner during the governorship election on Saturday.
In a statement on Friday, Shittu asked the operatives to go along to their polling units with their “tested and confirmed African Science materials”.
“You must conduct yourself in a peaceful manner devoid of any controversy as the law has no respect for violators”.
“You are to perform your civic right in mufti. Do not go to any polling unit with any material except your voter’s card. Remember to have with you all your tested and confirmed African Science materials.
“All your observations and reports must be sent to #Amotekunosunsituationbase. In case any of you foresees or discovers any looming crisis in your polling unit of observation, you are to relay the information to the Police officer around, the Department of State Service officer and other accredited professional security officers saddled with election monitoring responsibilities,” the statement read.
Shittu charged the area commanders and local government commanders of Amotekun in the state to “conduct and organize the men under them very peacefully”.
The Nigeria Police has debunked the rumour that Osun CP has been fired.
A statement by Force Public Relations Officer, PRO, Muyiwa Adejobi describes the claim as misinformation, pointing out that CP Adejobi has neither been fired nor been redeployed.
It explains that CP Olawale Olokode was just temporarily moved to the Force Headquarters pending the conclusion of the guber election when he would return to the State.
“We want to be as transparent, professional and proactive as possible in all our engagements and operations in the Osun Gubernatorial Election, hence the deployment of senior officers from the FHQ to oversee the election security in the state.”
The Statement says the Inspector General of Police has ordered the necessary deployment of both human and material assets to fortify the state for the exercise.
Ahead of next week’s governorship election in Osun State, corps members have been cautioned against involvement in the local politics of their host communities.
They were however advised to integrate themselves with their host communities, appreciate and respect their cultures and contribute to efforts that could lift the people.
The charge was given by the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier General Mohammed Fadah in a message to the enclosing ceremony of the 2022 Batch ‘B’ Stream one orientation course held at the NYSC permanent orientation camp, Ede Osun State.
Brigadier General Fadah also charged them to be security conscious at all times in their places of primary assignment, advising them to always cut short their trips once it was six o’clock in the evening.
“You should avoid acts that can endanger your lives such as staying out late, attending parties, visitation of dangerous places and acceptance of free car rides from strangers.”
He advised them to be good ambassadors to the NYSC, their families and institutions of graduation.
“You must be wary of acts that portray a negative image of the scheme, especially vices such as drug abuse and trafficking, cybercrime and advanced-fee-fraud… remember your membership of the service does not confer on you immunity from the legal consequences of any wrongdoing“.
Brigadier General Fadah appealed to corps employers to always accept corps members posted to them and make necessary preparation for their welfare.
One thousand five hundred and eighty-seven corps members were posted to Osun State in the Batch and have been deployed to various communities.
Director General, Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Mallam Balarabe Sheu Ilela says, media Professionals as Gatekeepers of Democracy must carefully guide the people to make informed choices. He stated this in Osogbo, the Osun State capital during a day sensitisation workshop for effective coverage of the Osun 2022 Governorship election. Represented by Director, Broadcast Monitoring of the NBC, Mrs Franca Aiyetan, the NBC Director General argued that such guidance could only be achieved where broadcast organizations provide free access to all political parties and candidates in line with the Constitution to communicate their programmes to the people to enable them take a decision. Mallam Balarabe charged the media to cooperate with the Independent National Electoral Commission for effective coverage and the overall succes of election The NBC Director General reminded broadcast organizations that it was punishable offense to deny opposition parties access to their platforms during electioneering.
Political parties in Osun State were also present at the workshop where they asked questions bordering on access and commercialization of the airwaves. However, Representative of the NBC Director General, Mrs Aiyetan told them that News and Current Affairs programmes were free as part of the social responsibility of media house to provide equal platforms for all the politicians. She however added, “The broadcast stations would not wait for you or keep your space vacant, he will have to fill it’s stations with content. The broadcaster also needs Diesel to run the station, the broadcaster also needs to make money, so when the politician is setting aside money to organise rally, setting aside money for all other political activities, set aside money to be heard on a station, pay for your jingles, if you now take your paid jungles, paid advertisement, paid manifestos to a station and it’s not taken, then you know your right has been infringed upon” Speaking on INEC’s expectations from the Osun based broadcast organizations, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Abdulganiy Raji maintained that the media had a sacred responsibility to ensure the sustainability of democracy through impartiality,fairness and access for all shades of opinions. “Broadcasters are expected to educate voters on how to exercise their Democratic rights, they are expected to report on election campaign,they are expected to provide a platform for political parties and candidates to communicate their messages to the electorate,we expect that the broadcasters will provide a platform for public feedback”. Professor Raji who recalled how the mismanagement of the electronic media derailed the democratic development of some African countries, pleaded with Media professionals to be guided by their conscience and not that of owners of the media. The INEC boss expressed concern that over three hundred and fifteen thousand voter cards had not been collected in Osun State. In a paper presentation, the NBC Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mrs Susan Obi submitted that just like security, the duty of media regulations was that of every Nigerian, hence people should report offensive broadcast content to the NBC”. Speaking on the occasion, the General Manager, Radio Nigeria Gold FM Ilesa, Mr Adedamola Tinubu who was represented by the Head of Marketing Department, Mrs Kemi Oni said Radio Nigeria as flagship of Broadcast in Nigeria remain committed to professionalism, fairness and objectivity.
