Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has moved sensitive materials to the Registration Area Centres (RACs) across the eight local government areas of the state
This is in line with the pronouncement of the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu who disclosed on Thursday that in Bayelsa, sensitive materials would move straight from the state headquarters to RACs instead of the local government headquarters as obtainable in other states.
The sensitive materials were moved in two batches under heavy security through the Ministry of Transport jetty in Yenagoa to RACs in coastal areas while those for RACs in upland areas were moved from the Swali office of the commission also under heavy security provided by a combined team of soldiers and armed policemen.
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INEC’s Head, Department of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Wilfred Ifogah, disclosed that the commission was 98 percent ready for the election.
He said: “Movement of non-sensitive materials and sensitive materials to area offices of INEC in the state has been done; we started with non-sensitive ones on Wednesday and it continued until Thursday.
“For the riverine areas, it was on hold because of the terrain, so, today which is Friday, a day before the elections, the distributions of sensitive materials to the coastal communities has been completed.
“So, as you can see, some of the buses moving the materials to the jetty and security operatives are on ground to ensure that all the materials are were secured.
“INEC is good to go; the security men are ready and we have about 10, 482 ad hoc staff to perform the national duty.”