Nigerian Diasporas extol implementation of electronic voting policy

Mr Obed Monago, former Chair of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation – Americas (NIDOA), has extolled implementation of the electronic voting policy as a step in the right direction.

Monago said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.

“The government is taking the right step in the right direction; this is going to be a work in progress, although it is not going to be automatic like flipping a switch.

“The introduction of these electronic voting is in the right direction; this is the first time, so we are going to build on it, improve on it and eventually make it standard as obtainable in Western world.

“It is really encouraging in terms of what is happening.”

On security related issues, Monago condemned electoral related violence in the past that hindered meaningful growth in democratic transitions.

According to him, security issues posed great concern.

“What is happening now is unprecedented, to the extent that my family asked me not to come to Nigeria in the election season.

“People are allegedly killed. Such is a concern for Diasporas and we have been trying to do our best, we have organised conferences on proper ways to tackle it.

“If you pay attention now, since the past two months into this election, you will realise there are no issues of Boko Haram and herdsmen.

“Apparently, it is assumed that such people were positioned for electoral purposes and when that is done, they will go back again into kidnapping.

“We are not going to allow any individual to completely devastate regions of Nigeria.

“NIDO will support the cause towards tackling the issue of insecurity, because it hampers development, in a bid to bring foreign investors to Nigeria.”

He, however, hoped the incoming administration, irrespective of who emerged winner, would prioritise security.

“Nigeria is going to be better going forward, because of the grassroots awareness and that is what governance entails, as well as what the dividends of democracy is supposed to mean.

“People have woken up to this reality and such is going to even be better going forward. So I do not think we are going to continue to have politics as usual in Nigeria.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria