2015: INEC unveils strategic plan for credible elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday, unveiled its strategic plan for credible elections ahead of the 2015 general election. Unveiling the plan tagged: “Strategic Plan 2012-2016” before stakeholders in Abuja, the chairman of the commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, said this would provide a strategic direction for the commission and the actions to be taken towards achieving its set goals of free, fair and credible elections in the country come 2015. According to Professor Jega, “the INEC strategic plan is a practical, action-oriented guide which has been developed based on examination of internal and external factors that direct goal setting and resource allocation to achieve meaningful results over time. It is a design, a blueprint, a master plan to help the commission develop a pragmatic road map for its work over the next five years.” He explained that the plan would among other things, propose what needs to be done by the commission to achieve its mandate following assessment of its performance over the years, provide a framework and focus for improvement, optimise the commission’s organisational systems and structures, provide guidance to managers for day-to-day decisions. While assuring the stakeholders and the public in general that the commission was set to deliver a world acclaimed best elections in 2015, Professor Jega said the commission had been cleansed of bad eggs and now paraded committed and dedicated staff, saying, “what the staff need now is motivation to spur them to give the commission and the nation their best.” Meanwhile, the National Assembly has assured that it had set all necessary machinery in motion to strengthen the commission through legislation ahead of the 2015 elections. The chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Andy Uba, who dropped the hint at the occasion, said the Senate and the National Assembly in general would in the course of the review of the 1999 Constitution as amended, tinker with the relevant sections of the 2010 Electoral Act, as amended, especially section 8 which deals with the appointment of the secretary of the commission and the transfer of voters from one location to another, section 45 which centres on the dates and orders of elections among others. Senator Uba, who was represented by the vice chairman of the committee, said there was the need to give legal backing to the transfer of voters in the country so as not to disenfranchise Nigerians, who might have relocated before elections, citing the current security challenges in some parts of the country where thousands had left and might not return to such places again. Courtesy: Tribunenews