ONDO INDEPNDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION BOARD MEMBERS

PROFESSOR RUFUS B. FATUYI COMMSIION CHAIRMAN	Presides at Commission's meetings. Gives Final approval to recommendations by Administrative Secretary. Chief Electoral Officer of the State. Liaises with Government on policy matters
HON. OLUFEMI TOMIWA Full-Time Commissioner	Assists the Chairman on Policy Matters. Advises the Chairman. Supervises Senatorial district elections for Ondo Central Senatorial District.
HON. Dr OLABANJI OPEKE Full-Time Commissioner	Assists the Chairman on Policy Matters. Advises the Chairman. Supervises Senatorail district elections for Ondo South Senatorial District.
HON. OTUNBA BISI OGUNDIPE Full-Time Commissioner	Assists the Chairman on Policy Matters. Advises the Chairman. Supervises Senatorial district elections for Ondo North Senatorial District.
HON. CHIEF OLU EKE PART-TIME COMMISSIONER	Assists the Chairman on Policy Matters. Advises the Chairman. Supervises Senatorial district elections.
HON. REV. AKINDELE FUAGA PART-TIME COMMISSIONER	Assists the Chairman on Policy Matters. Advises the Chairman. Supervises Senatorial district elections.
HON. LAWA S. OLUWASANMI	Assists the Chairman on Policy Matters. Advises the Chairman. Supervises Senatorial district elections.

HISTORY, MISSION STATEMENT AND OBJECTIVE OF ONDO STATE INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION

The creation of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECS) was consequent upon the creation of Independent National Electoral Commission by Decree 17 of 1988 with amendment by Decree 33 of 1988.

Prior to the establishment of INEC, other National electoral bodies like Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO), National Electoral Commission (NEC), National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) had been established and abrogated.  The abrogation of these bodies was hinged on their failure to conduct free and fair elections thereby throwing the nation into abject confusion. Elections conducted by these electoral bodies were characterized by fraudulent acts, rigging, thuggery, outbreak of crisis, maiming, killing and burning, resulting in total breakdown of law and order in the society.
Such electoral bodies were incapable of conducting free and fair elections.   They eventually installed government under an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion. Such governments became those of fraud, incapable of improving the socio-economic and political status of the people. Crime in high places was at its peak, power corrupted arbitrarily and the supposed rich economy became completely battered.

The above situation was perhaps the underlining factor behind the establishment of an electoral body, formidable and devoid of external influences that could corrupt the system. This was the genesis of the creation of an Independent National Electoral Commission with emphasis on the word 'independent' meaning, after the inauguration of the commission and release of the required fund from Government, it ceases to rely on any other influence except necessary rules and regulations including constitutional provisions guiding the conduct of such electoral body.

However, a school of thought opines that the mere change of name of an electoral body does not matter but the appointment of people of integrity, high moral disposition and track records. They argue that a highly disciplined, principled ad committed public officer may not be influenced even by Government as soon as the necessary rules and guidelines were handed down.

In want of the true independence of the electoral body therefore, it became necessary that Independent Electoral Commissions be created for the States with the responsibility of conducting elections into the elective positions in the Local Government and monitoring the voters' registration exercise with a view to creating the necessary checks and balances by providing the necessary advise for INEC as entrenched in Part II, Section 3, third schedule of the 1999 constitution.

In Ondo State, a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission for the State as provided for in the Local Government Law and as enacted by the Ondo State House of Assembly and cited as the Ondo State Independent Electoral Law was signed into law by the then Executive Governor, Chief Adebayo Adefarati on the 3rd of May, 2001.

In this regard therefore, certain prevailing and very serous societal problems must be addressed by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission before election are embarked upon so that the elusive free and fair connotation could be re-established in the electoral process. Such societal problems are:

I.     Lack of peace and safety of life and property
ii.     Political intolerance
iii.    Lack of social security in rural communities
iv.    Hopelessness and young people's inability to provide meaningfully to personal socio-        economic problems.
v.    Lack of adequate solution to boundary disputes among rural Communities etc.

Based on the above theoretical analogy therefore, the vision of the mission of Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission can be stated in the following strategic objectives:

i.     to promote integrated team-work through close collaborative efforts of staff of the        Commission and the mutual interest of all electorate and all political parties using        fear of favour but love to all to solve problems of mutual interest that may arise        during electoral activities.

ii.     Development of effective delivery mechanism for election activities of appropriate        training of personnel through the utilization of available talents and experts in the        community.

iii.    Promoting healthy participation of permanent and temporary adhoc staff to create        innovative activities and conducive environment during election activities-to        promote peace and social cohesion and mutual understanding of people in our

iv.    Giving effective and affective concern to staff, also to the electorate as well as to        all political parties welfare during electoral activities.

v.    Working actively and continuously towards the eradication of thuggery and criminal        activities and lawless behaviours during promote the safety of life and property of        people in our society.

To achieve the above:

i.    every stakeholder must be trustworthy, honest and abide by the tenets of the       constitutional rules and regulations of the Commission;
ii.    we must be humble and try to avoid self pride or two much emphasis on personal       influence on society or predominant culture;
iii.   we must be determined to succeed in all our legal official pursuits;
iv.   we must do the will of God always;
v.    we must learn to forgive always;


Professor Rufus B. Fatuyi
Chairman
Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission
Akure Ondo State

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

I am highly delighted to be appointed Chairman of this Commission. I wish to first of all thank the Almighty God and secondly His Excellency the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu for this gesture. It is no doubt a call to service, having been a living witness and keen observer of the several cases of dishonesty, misplacement of justice and lack of respect for established law in the conduct of electoral activities, leading to political intolerance, socio-political and economic disorder and lack of peace in the society.

Knowing fully the highly sensitive and volatile nature of electoral activities in our society, we in the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission are prepared to take the bull by the horn by taking extreme care and caution in the administration of the electoral process so as to prevent the re-occurrence of those bad memories of the past, through the use and development of a creative vision, imagination and perspective plan which derives from the concept that the happiness of mankind is the happiness of the greatest number.

The notion of structure as related to the concept of order and form of organization in the society should be the preoccupation of leaders who have great potentials of bringing into being, utterly new and surprising experience out of the common place idea. In this way, leaders with a creative vision, perspective and transactive planning for our environment will be capable of changing people's socio-political and economic ~ uncertainties and mentally. Such uncertainties are currently as unsettled in our society as the wave of sea that is driven and tossed by the wind

This is undoubtedly a pointer to the fact that the previous manager of the Nigerian system have left undone those things, which they ought have done. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the new generations make necessary amendments to forestall the search of our youths greener pasture in United States of America and elsewhere because of predominance of social inefficiencies in Nigeria.

This Commission is therefore prepared to put in place necessary strategies in sensitizing and educating the masses through the various media on the rules and regulations guiding the conduct of the elect process. All stakeholders including government agencies will be gear towards achieving the electoral goal and therefore a peaceful and enviable society.

Our message is that of peace. On behalf of the Board and Management of this Commission, I appeal to all stake-holders in the electoral process to strive for the installation of a responsible Government that is capable of introducing improvement in Public Services, mutual understanding, respect for individuals in positions of authority and peace co-existence of people in society.

Thank you.

Professor Rufus B. Fatuyi
Chairman
Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission
Akure Ondo State