By Iduozee Paul, Benin Correspondent
As political parties fielding candidates for the 2019 elections commence their campaigns, the project coordinator, European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), Nigeria, Rudolf Elbling, has called for the quick implementation and monitoring of the February 2019 general elections.
Rudolf Elbling made the call at a two-day workshop for South South EMSC zonal implementers in Benin City, Edo State.
The ECES project coordinator said the group seeks to integrate the Election Project Plan (EPP), and the Election Management System (EMS) to create room for effective execution of the 2019 polls.
”The EMSC is an effective tool INEC required to manage field assets, resources, constituencies and chains of electoral activities in the organization of elections within the electoral cycle. It is an innovative way to monitor electoral plans, and implementation of electoral activities that could assist INEC in evaluating its readiness for an election. ECES is delighted that INEC has taken a giant stride in the integration of the Election Management System EMS, Election Risk Management (ERM), and Electoral Operations Support Centre (EOSC) for effective implementation and monitoring of activities,” he stated.
Continuing, he said, ”ECES is proud to support this laudable initiative, which among other functions, seeks to ensure a seamless logistical and operational deployment plan that will further the aim of delivering a free and fair election come 2019.
“It will be recalled that ECES supported the conduct of the EMS implementers workshops for the off cycle governorship elections in Anambra in 2017,” he added.
In his remarks, the acting director planning and monitoring, Mr. Jude Okwuonu, said the nationwide zonal implementers workshops are preparatory to the state-level implementers’ workshops that would be conducted by state offices on state basis.
According to him,the State level workshops will mark the start of full scale implementation of the EMSC operations to help the tasks ahead.
Okwuonu disclosed that the workshop was designed to sensitize participants on their roles in the effective management of the EMSC structure at the state level, noting, ”the implementation of the EMSC could not have been successful without the support of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES)” and expressed INEC’s appreciation to ECES for its numerous supports.
The INEC director planning and monitoring said the commission looks forward for more collaboration and support toward the 2019 general elections.
In an interview with some participants at the workshop, the INEC administrative secretary in Delta state, said the officials, “ are going to be on our toes to make sure that the tools to be deployed in this seminar will be implemented to serve as a guide to us”.
Promising better service she said, “I know that come 2019, we will not have the kind of complains and issues we had in previous elections.”
