The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Has clarified the purported Report that its Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Dr. Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, was detained by the police for matters relating to political party Primaries.

The Commission in a Statement released on Friday by Its National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Barr. Festus Okoye said the Edo REC was only invited to provide insight into some technical issues regarding the commission’s processes and nothing more.

Okoye said the Edo State Police Command has however issued a statement to clarify the situation, saying that the REC was neither detained nor is he personally under investigation as media reports suggested.

He said while the commission welcomes the clarification by the Police Command, it is necessary to point out that any other official of the Commission assigned by the REC could have provided the required insight, Alternatively, a visit to the INEC State Office by the Commissioner of Police or his assigned representative could have achieved the same goal as has been the tradition in its collaborative relationship with security agencies.

Okoye emphasised that Dr. Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, the Edo REC, is a conscientious public officer and co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) at State level And was the sitting REC when the last Governorship election was conducted in Edo State on 19th September 2020 which was adjudged to be free, fair and credible.

The statement however advised that Any action capable of creating the impression of harassment of INEC officials or infringment of the independence of the Commission must be avoided, especially at this critical period of preparations for the 2023 General Election.

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has called on relevant key players to join hands in the effort to ensure the return of all looted artefacts currently at various museums in Europe and around the world.

The Governor made this known while sharing the concept of Edo Museum Of West Africa Art- EMOWAA at the 2021 retreat for Management, Staff and Curators organised by the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria which held in Benin City.

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Conceived in 2020, the Edo Museum of West African Art, EMOWAA is a part of an on-going preparatory arrangement to receive some of the ancient work of arts that were looted from the Benin Kingdom during the invasion of the empire in the eighteenth century.

The Governor goes further to call for the collaborative efforts of all relevant key players to ensure the smooth return of the artefacts.

Director General of the National Commission For Museum and Monuments, Prof. Abba Isa Tijani, says EMOWAA affords the curators the opportunity to showcase their wealth of experience

The design of the pavilion that will receive the works is expected to begin at the last quarter of 2021.

(Editor Paul Akhagbemhe)