Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has told members of the re-constituted Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) Committee to brace up for the important assignment of ensuring the success of the 2019 general elections.
He said the work of the committee was vital because of the need to constantly track planning mechanisms and activities put in place for the smooth conduct of the next General Elections. According to Prof Yakubu, who spoke while inaugurating the Committee at the Commission’s headquarters on 4th June, a good election is derived from good planning, while proper monitoring of the plans put in place “will limit the areas of difficulty” during elections.
He said the Commission performed well in the Ibarapa East State Constituency bye-election held in Oyo State on June 2 due to proper planning and tracking. His words: “Oyo (bye-election) was good. The processes were great and things went on smoothly.”
Prof. Yakubu asserted that for the 2019 General Elections to be successful, the Commission also “needs to constantly track all levels of preparations” to ensure that everything goes according to plan. But he implored the committee not to forget the two governorship elections holding in Ekiti State on July 14 and in Osun State on September 22. He also reminded the committee members that the Commission still has about five bye-elections to conduct in five states, including Katsina, Taraba, Bauchi and Cross River.
But he warned against complacency, saying he would be prepared to wield the big stick against any “sleeping member” of the committee. His words: “I will personally be tracking your activities. Now that you have been inaugurated, the next thing for you is to focus on is the work you will be doing. We have a lot of hope in you and we will be relying on you.”
The Committee’s Terms of Reference include:
- Establishing an operational framework for EMSC Secretariat at both headquarters and state offices to be fully functional for implementation, monitoring and support mechanisms for the 2019 General Elections
- Developing an operational framework for EMSC Secretariat platform including, among others, securing fully operational platform resources, dashboard analytics, mobile apps support as well as data collection, reporting and communication tools
- Developing operational manuals, facilitators’ guides and other relevant training materials for the effective functioning of the EMSC
- Organizing and conducting various levels of training at headquarters and in state offices for the effective implementation of the EMSC Work Plan; and
- Implementing the EMSC Work Plan as approved by the Commission and carry out any other activities related to 2019 General Elections as may be assigned by the Commission from time to time. The 16-member Committee includes: Special Adviser to the Hon. Chairman, Prof Mohammad Kuna (Chairman), Chief Technical Adviser to the Hon. Chairman, Prof. Bolade Eyinla, Chief Press Secretary to the Hon. Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, Director, Planning and Monitoring, Mr Okechukwu Ndeche and Director, Electoral Operations, Mr Abdulrazak Yusuf.Others are: Director, ICT, Engineer Chidi Nwafor; Director, Voter Registry, Engineer Iro Gambo; Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole O.Uzzi; Director, Estate, Works and Transport, Architect Ruth Endeley; Deputy Director (Election Management) Mr Chima Duruaku; Deputy Director (Electoral Training), Mrs Victoria Ita-Messi; Deputy Director (Electoral Institute), Mr Ifeanyi Agoha; Assistant Director (Data Caption & Process), Mrs Emem Emoren; Assistant Director (Web Unit), Mrs Anthonia Idemudia; Deputy Director (Adamawa State Office), Mr Jibreel El-Yakub (Secretary) and Consultant, European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), Mr Samson Fadare.
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