By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa Professional Forum (BPF) has described as unfortunate the “public display of ignorance of the roles of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) during elections by the Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri.”
The secretary, BPF, Philip Erepa, in a statement in Yenagoa on Wednesday, said he watched “with dismay during a live youth programme where Diri in his remarks suggested that the police had no responsibility during elections.”
Erepa said Diri, who alluded to a matter before the court, which he said is supposed to be subjudiced, “ignorantly claimed that the police had no responsibility to stand as a witness for an election, which they monitored and secured.”
He said Diri in “his frustration also made some damaging remarks against the Commissioner of Police, CP Alausa and other respected patrons of the state and the country.”
He said Diri and his co-travelers lacked the understanding that the police were saddled with the responsibility of securing any election in the country.
He said by his statement Diri was simply trying to preempt the court in “his failed bid to truncate a legal process challenging his declaration as a governor.”
Erepa said: “We have watched with utter dismay overnor of Bayelsa State Senator Douye Diri, in a live youth Programme making an ignorant remark, suggesting that the police have no assigned responsibilities during elections in the country.
“Diri needs to be educated that as protectors of the elections, the police monitor and secure the entire process and can also be called upon to stand as witnesses in any court process involving such elections.
“What Diri and his co travellers fail to understand is that the police have statutory responsibility in the conduct of elections in Nigeria, they are the only security outfit with that responsibility. The role of the police is to secure the election. That is why you find a police man in each of the polling units.
“We are also baffled that Diri out of his frustration made disparaging remarks against the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, CP Alausa for simply doing his job. Diri should be told that his utterance on a matter, which is subjudiced, is an affront on the judiciary and an attempt to preempt the court.
“We find Diri’s recent comments as an attempt to harass not just a decorated member of the Nigeria Police Force but the entire Nigeria Police force”.
