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Abuja — The National Council of State (NCS) Tuesday rose from a five-hour meeting and asked the Federal Government to deploy military, riot police, the regular police and other security agencies in the streets across the country, 48 hours before the general election which begins on April 2.

This is to give impetus to the directive of President Goodluck Jonathan to the security agencies that trouble makers bent on disrupting the polling process should be arrested and prosecuted.

THISDAY had reported on Monday that the Federal Government was planning massive security overhaul ahead of the polls because of the escalating violence.

The aim of this, according to the NCS, is to maintain security across the country in the face of the growing cases of politically-motivated violence as the election approaches.

Also, the Nigerian Governors' Forum (NGF) has appealed to the NCS and National Assembly for a review of the National Minimum Wage Act, assented to last Friday by Jonathan.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Hafiz Ringim, in company with Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega; Governors Bukola Saraki, Danjuma Goje, Peter Obi of Kwara, Gombe and Anambra States respectively, said the deployment was to ensure that no window was left open for miscreants to foment trouble or disrupt the exercise.

"Forty-eight hours or more before the elections, there would be increased deployment of mobile policemen, conventional policemen, and other law enforcement agencies as well as the military.

"This is with a view to ensuring that no chances or opportunities were allowed for thugs, rogues and vagabonds in order to make proper efforts to disrupt the exercise.

"Apart from this deployment, at the polling unit, there shall be police and other law enforcement agencies whose duty is to ensure proper conduct of electorate and voters as well as security of voting materials as well as INEC officials," Ringim said.

On further security measures, he said "There shall be patrol in and around all voting areas by armed policemen as well as armed military officers. The fact remains that this country as well as the law enforcement agents representing this country are determined and will not allow any act of thuggery, any act of violence and any act that would disrupt the conduct of free, fair, rancour-free, peaceful as well as acceptable general election".

On the desire of voters to stay back at the polling stations after voting, he said: "They would be allowed to stay there as long as they conduct themselves peacefully and not otherwise. Anybody that is found to be in a position to threaten the conduct of the election shall be arrested and prosecuted.

"Anybody within the vicinity of the election process that is found to be doing any act or conducting themselves in any manner inimical to the peaceful conduct of the election shall be arrested and shall be prosecuted."

When asked, in an interactive session, who would exercise control given that the plan entails multi-service operation, Ringim said he expected journalists to be more reasonable instead of the "unreasonable and irresponsible" questions they were asking him.

At this point, the State House correspondents protested his choice of words and demanded an apology, but he stood up and left, while Jega stayed back to take more questions.

Jega clarified that he never asked voters to stay back after voting to protect their votes, but to stay and watch the counting which he said was misconstrued by some people to mean that they should protect their votes.

"Obviously, there is concern for crowd control as where over 200 people are gathered or where we have more than 500 gather at one point. If they (voters) want to stay and wait for the counting, they can do that peacefully. We are not asking people to stay and defend their votes, but to watch the counting. Anybody who waits must stay quietly not to guard the vote.

"It is advisable that anyone who votes should leave, but if they have to stay, they have to be peaceful as anyone, who breaches the peace will be arrested. Security men will do their job," Jega said.

Meanwhile, the NGF has said its appeal on the new wage law was made to save the nation from the harsh consequences of the negative effects of a possible non-implementation would have on states that may not be able to muster the needed marching revenue drive to rake-in additional fund to meet up with the demands of the law.

Chairman of the NGF, Saraki, disclosed these to newsmen at the Kwara State Government Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.

He said the recently signed Minimum Wage Act and the Personal Income Tax Bill before the National Assembly drew the attention of governors and they expressed their position that the tax bill would affect the internally generated revenue to the states.

He said that Senate President David Mark, who was at the meeting, pledged that the National Assembly would take a second look at the law when they resume from the election break.

On the election, Saraki said: "It was agreed that voters who wish to stay after voting are free to do so, provided that they are orderly and not constituting themselves into nuisance."

For some specific security measures, he said some polling stations would be monitored with electronic devices.

He said that the INEC chairman explained to the NCS meeting attended by former President Shehu Shagari; former Head of State, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.); former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, Chairman of defunct Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, that all sensitive materials for the election were in the states and zones and that they were ready for distribution.