POLICE officers and men have been advised to demonstrate professionalism and remain apolitical during the forthcoming general elections in the country.
The Assistant-Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 11, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, gave the advice at the weekend in Akure during his tour of the Police Command in Ondo State.
Okoye called on police personnel to be ready, at all times, to protect the electorate and Nigeria’s polity.
He expressed the determination of the force to ensure that the general elections were better than all previous polls in the country in terms of credibility and fairness.
He urged the officers to imbibe the culture of discipline, respect for senior colleagues and to perform their job professionally.
He called on them to cultivate good relationship with members of the public by being polite always, adding that the police were to protect lives and property of the people.
Okoye reminded the policemen that good relationship with the people would guarantee trust and relevant information from the public, which would help to reduce crime rate.
Earlier, Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Isaac Eke, commended the AIG for the visit, saying that it would enable the personnel to learn from his wealth of experience and would be beneficial to the profession.
Eke added that the command, under his leadership, had achieved a lot in crime fighting as could be attested to by the prevailing peace in the state.
He attributed the success to hard work, commitment and all-round support from officers and men of the command.
He warned lazy and undisciplined personnel who engage in illegal activities to desist or face the wrath of the law.