The Independent National Electoral Commission
[INEC] has fired no fewer than 30 of its personnel
accused for aiding electoral malpractices across
the country during the 2011 general election, the
electoral body has said.
Sixteen of the dismissed staff were punished for their
alleged involvement in election-related offences in
Anambra state, the South-East state which elections
are usually tainted by rigging and thuggery.
Other states, whose elections led to the dismissal of
INEC officials, are Imo (3), Edo (1), Zamfara (1), FCT
(1), Delta (1), Oyo (2), Rivers (1), Lagos (1), and Osun
(2).
A staff based at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja was
also shown the door for allegedly colluding with
politicians to perpetrate electoral fraud.
Besides, the Commission is prosecuting nine out of
its 12 staff apprehended for committing various
forms of electoral offences during the governorship
elections in six states.
Two out of the 12 electoral offenders have been
discharged and acquitted while one was convicted.
According to a letter to a civil society group, Say No
Campaign, in response to a Freedom of Information
request, INEC said those dismissed or whose
appointments were terminated committed offences
such as refusal to carry out lawful duties and
misleading the Commission, misconduct,
disappearance with money meant for payment of
allowances of ad-hoc staff, withholding ballot papers,
manipulation of election results and possession of
DDC machines.
Others offences listed are allegation of illegal entries
in the register of voters and attempt to make use of
left-over money.
The letter, dated July 14 and signed by the Secretary
to the Commission, Augusta Ogakwu, was in
response to a request by the civil group on June 9 in
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, for
the list of the electoral offenders.
Say No Campaign is a coalition of civil society
organisations committed to fighting corruption,
impunity, poverty, violence and other governance
challenges in the country.
According to the document, made exclusively
available to PREMIUM TIMES, the 16 officials axed in
connection with the Anambra election committed the
same offence: "Allegation of wrong entries in the
register of voters."
All 16 staff, who were either electoral officers or
those drawn from ICT and Audit Units of the election
body for election duty, had their appointments
terminated by the Commission.
The remaining 14 staff were either compulsorily
retired or dismissed in 2011.
The most senior officer among them who hails from
in Imo State was on Grade Level 16. He was retired
for "refusal to carry out lawful directives and
misleading the Commission."
Another officer dismissed while on Grade Level 15 is
from Edo State. He was found guilty of wrongful
recruitment and deployment of a collation officer
whose name was given as Dr. Paul.
Those being prosecuted in court for electoral
offences, according to a document attached to the
letter and signed by S.O. Ibrahim, the assistant
director in charge of the commission's legal services,
(prosecution) are Chukwujekwu Okeke (Anambra)
and Osunlola Akinyinka (Oyo).
Mr. Akinyinka is being prosecuted at the High Court
in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
Chinedu Nwankwo, Henry Anozie and Obiora Enebeli
committed their own offences in Edo State and their
cases are also in court.
In Ekiti, although Ojo Oluwafemi and Olusola Oladipo
have been dismissed from service, their cases are
pending in court. Two other officers, Oni Babajide
James and Ajayi Gbenga whose, cases are pending in
court, are however on interdiction.
Isa Amana, an ad-hoc staff and Omolade Raphael,
who allegedly committed offences in Ondo State,
have since been discharged and acquitted at a
Magistrate Court while Sani Dada who has since been
convicted, committed the offence in Niger State.
Kayode Idowu, media aide to the INEC Chairman,
Attahiru Jega could not be reached to comment for
this story. He did not answer or return calls made to
his mobile telephone call.
But Mr. Jega had in 2013 admitted the presence of
corrupt officials and staff in INEC, who were not only
aiding and abetting rigging, but also committing
other electoral malpractices
"INEC officials are not immune to prosecution. Since
we came here, as a Commission we have prosecuted
INEC officials, who have been clearly found guilty of
breaching established laws, rules and regulations
and we have also quietly shown people the way out.
Probably, it was not well advertised," he said during
the public presentation of Strategic Programme of
Action of INEC covering 2012 to 2016.
"There were many people that were indicted who
were not faithful due to criminal activities which
clearly were incompatible with the objectives and
responsibility that they were supposed to bring to
this job. We have retired people.
"We have dismissed people and asked people to
withdraw their services. We have done a lot quietly
and it is not something that really should have been
advertised.
He said INEC made it clear it would draw the line and
that though the leadership was not looking for fault,
it would not do anything wrong or ask anybody to do
wrong, but if anyone was found doing wrong, he
would have himself to blame.
The INEC Chairman added, "No doubt, I must share
with you that my own assessment of what has
happened is that in INEC previously, certainly there
were a few bad eggs, who had done things and things
they had done had more or less damaged the image
of the entire members of the Commission.
"It is really a terrible thing that has happened. And it
is very, very clear that majority of staff of INEC are
honest people doing honest job under very difficult
circumstances. All they required was motivation and
encouragement and inspiration from the conduct of
those who are placed in positions of responsibility."
Police in Nepal on Thursday said a teenager in eastern Nepal committed suicide after her favourite team Brazil lost badly to Germany in the World Cup semifinals.
