The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Barrister Hashim Abioye has called for a true State Independent Electoral body with full financial autonomy.
Abioye made this known when the new leadership of the Osun Online Publishers Association (OOPA), led by its Chairman, Mukhtar Ajelogbon paid him a courtesy visiton Tuesday in his office at Testing Ground, Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
While welcoming and applauding OOPA Excos for being professional in the digital media, he explained that the agitation for the scrapping of the State Electoral Commissions due to the bastardization of the system at a time Nigerians are craving for restructuring and true federalism, should be used to support and strengthening the state electoral Commissions that is closer to the grassroots.
Abioye, however, further proposed that the state electoral umpire should be indipendent and centralized under the Independent Electoral Commission, (INEC)
According to him, “We are craving for restructuring, we are craving for true federalism, we are still saying that the closest government system to the grassroots, the responsibilities of emergence leaders at the Local Government systems at the grassroots should be made the responsibility of the federal body instead of calling for strengthening the state electoral bodies.”
“If you say it is the State Governor that appointed State electoral bodies, who appointed members of the national bodies? It is the executive.
“The system can be put in place in such a way that, state electoral bodies will be truly independent and state electoral bodies are independent, the only areas is the area of financial dependence.
“If we can do it in such a way that state electoral bodies are given financial autonomy, free hands to operate financially and tie their operational and administrative strategies and collaborations with INEC, that will strengthen the institution at the state level instead of calling for scrapping and abolition.”
The State electoral bodies is to provide the template and process of emergence of those who will administer and manage the Local Governments.
Barrister Abioye gave some knocks to some State Governors who abused their powers by waking up overnight to constituting State Electoral bodies and immediately after the election it will be dissolved without regards to the rule of law. “They make them like ad-hoc staff or adhoc body, meanwhile it is supposed to be a standing constitutional bodies.”
He added that some State electoral bodies are not living up to their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by carrying the people along. He added that they need to look at the ills in the society that usually bring about violence like three factors, Cybercrime, Cultism and Drug abuse.
“Those are the people politicians recruits to constitute electoral violence. If these three things are removed from our electoral process you will see that free, fair and credible elections are guaranteed.
“This Commission under my watch has launched the CCD (Cybercrime, Cultism and Drug Abuse), the formal unveiling will be done very soon and I will invite you.”
OSSIEC Chairman concluded that the commission is ready to partner with Osun Online Publishers Association in its activities to reach out the people of Osun. He also agreed to a request to feature as guest on the “OOPA Media Parley” to dig more about the activities of the Commission.
Earlier, the Chairman of OOPA, Ajelogbon had thanked the Chairman of OSSIEC, Barrister Hashim Abioye for accepting the courtesy visit request.
Members of OOPA present at the courtesy visit are, The Chairman, Ajelogbon Muktar, Vice-Chairman, Bright Gbotemi, Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idowu, Akintunde Idowu, Francis Ezeudino, Amiloaded representatives and ex-Chairman of OOPA, Adesoji Omosebi.