CLEEN Foundation has urged all stakeholders to ensure the successes of the 2019 general elections, as part of measures to save the country from collapse and engender national development.
The Executive Director of the foundation, Dr. Benson Olugbuo, made the plea yesterday in Abuja at the 20 anniversary commemorative press conference.
“As we celebrate, we recognize that the impacts made over the last 20 years are largely due to the confidence of Nigerian citizens that partnered with CLEEN Foundation.
“We also recognize the efforts of former and present management and staff and re-affirm our commitment to promoting public safety, security and justice sector reforms throughout Nigeria.
“This is a time of celebration. It is also a time of reflection. We celebrated the return of Nigerian democracy in 1999, and believe it is still the best system of government that enables citizens to exercise their rights through free and fair elections.
“As the 2019 general elections draw closer, we call on all Nigerians to ensure free and credible elections.
“We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to play by the rules; be impartial, non-partisan and professional throughout the conduct of the elections,” Olugbuo said.
According to him, a free, fair, transparent, inclusive and violent free election is possible when citizens engage aspirants in fruitful dialogues and campaigns are issue-based devoid of hate speeches or inflammatory statements.
He said, “Our votes must count and Nigerians expect the Federal Government to create an enabling environment where citizens will freely exercise their rights to participate, vote candidates of their choice without fear of retribution or violence.”
He said the foundation would be celebrating her 20th anniversary from 26th-30th November 2018 adding that despite the dispensation witnessing an alarming shrinking of the civil space, CLEEN has managed to weather the storms to achieve two decades of impact and steady growth.
He said the foundation originally founded by Mr. Innocent Chukwuma in 1998 as the Centre for Law Enforcement and Education in Nigeria, received was a grant of $1000 from the Netherland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in August 1998.
He also listed the achievements of the foundation to include the establishment of community policing forums in 14 local government areas drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country; reactivation of the Police Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) in four states; developed guidelines for police officials on electoral duty; monitoring of police conducts from 2003-2018 General Elections, working with the Police Service Commission (PSC), the Nigeria Police Force and other strategic partners to develop capacity for the exercise of their mandates.
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