Maurice Iwu

The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to Mr. Joe Igbokwe’s letter on the above subject. It was published in the June 5, 2009 edition of The Nation newspaper.In the said letter, Mr. Igbokwe, the Publicity Secretary of Action Congress, Lagos State, pointedly accused INEC of attempting to sweep under the carpet certain wrongs that exist only in his imagination and perhaps that of his political party. Specifically, Mr. Igbokwe claimed that the oath of secrecy which is currently being administered on INEC staff was the Commission’s “gambit” informed by what he terms “the macabre manner” the INEC leadership under Professor Maurice Iwu allegedly manipulated the recently held Ekiti supplementary governorship election. He however failed to provide any clue as to the nature and extent of the so called manipulation with which he so gleefully charged INEC.

He also accused INEC leadership of an attempt at covering not only the alleged bribery scam but sundry other imaginary electoral crimes. This is preposterous, we hasten to say.

Much as the Commission does not intend to join issues with an AC chieftain whose party has literally declared war against her, it is pertinent that we put in proper perspective what informed the administration of the oath of secrecy on its staff.

First and foremost, the oath of secrecy is a normal administrative procedure known to all government establishments, especially those whose activities or functions are very sensitive in nature. It is therefore a requirement which every civil servant in the employ of the government is duty-bound to subscribe to in order to ensure that security-based information as well documents which they manage or handle are not arbitrarily disclosed or divulged except as permitted in the interest of the general public. In his unrestrained outpouring of invectives on the Commission’s leadership, using the administered oath of secrecy as a façade, Mr. Igbokwe has neglected to accept the widely known fact that Executive Office holders are also required to subscribe to an oath of secrecy just in the same way as officials at various levels of government are required to take this oath. Only God Knows what secrets such oaths are designed to cover if Igbokwe’s thesis to the effect that here at INEC they are administered with an intent to cover some “messy deals and many acts of fraud”.

Secondly, oath taking by staff is not peculiar to INEC. To attempt to make an issue out of a purely administrative procedure as Igbokwe has done only shows the extent to which the AC has taken its campaign of calumny against INEC, using The Nation as a mega phone.

Early this week, the paper claimed Professor Maurice Iwu was foisting an oath of secrecy on his staff in order to cover the alleged bribery scam which every Nigerian knows is being investigated by the Police.

The fact remains that INEC reported the alleged scam to the Police and prayed same to institute thorough investigation into the matter. The Nation’s brazen claim that the alleged bribery was a damning revelation is not only farcical but ridiculous. What’s more, it is preposterous to imagine that INEC which called for investigation into an allegation of bribery against its staff will turn around to cover what it had reported.

Thirdly, the Commission desired a rigorous and transparent investigation process, having tremendous regard to the weight or gravity of the issue reported; an issue which elsewhere, would have been handled administratively. One therefore wonders why an otherwise patriotic reaction of INEC to a weighty allegation of bribery is being celebrated by The Nation and its sponsors as an alibi for lampooning its leadership.

Finally, we wish to reiterate that the oath of secrecy being administered on INEC staff has nothing whatsoever to do with this alleged bribery scandal which is being investigated by the Police.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT,

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION, HEADQUARTERS,

ABUJA, FCT.