Philips, LASIEC Boss, Resumes Duty, Pledges Credible Election

•  Unveils to tour all local councils in the state

Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Chairperson of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Justice Ayotunde Philips (rtd), yesterday formally assumed office, pledging to conduct credible elections at the grassroots.

Philips, the immediate past Chief Judge of Lagos State, unveiled her plan to visit all LASIEC offices in 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) as part of the preparation for the poll.

She unveiled her agenda yesterday at a meeting with Electoral Commissioners, Permanent Secretary and staff members of the commission in a statement, urging them not to tolerate indiscipline and laziness.

In her statement, the LASIEC boss charged all the electoral commissioners in the state “to ensure that they conduct free, fair and transparent polls in the forthcoming local government elections.”
She thus disclosed that the commission would embark on the tour of the 57 local councils in the state, noting that the purpose of the tour was to enable members of the commission familiarise themselves with the terrain in all councils in the state ahead of the council election.”
She noted that the tour would also afford the commission the opportunity to assess the state of offices allocated to Electoral Officers of the commission in the various local governments and LCDAs.

Phillips pledged that the commission would conduct free, fair and credible elections into the councils in the state, urging them to be honest and transparent in their operations so as to enable the commission achieves its mission of conducting credible and acceptable elections.

Also speaking, the commission’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olumide Lawal, pledged the support and cooperation of staff, saying the staff would redouble their efforts in order to assist the commission in achieving its objective.
The state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, had on June 29 sworn in the LASIEC and four new commissioners, charging them “to live above board and be fair to all in the discharge of their duties.”
He said the new chairman and other members were carefully selected based on their track record of meritorious service and unquestionable integrity, hence they must be transparent and fair to all without giving undue advantage to one party over another.

He said his administration places high premium on the rule of law, and vowed that he would not do anything to directly or indirectly interfere in the affairs of the commission.

He said LASIEC, as the statutory body saddled with the responsibility of conducting local government elections, had a critical role in entrenching the democratic process in the State and the newly sworn-in members must go all out to ensure the credibility of the electoral process.