Prof. Jega to INEC Officials: No more room for misconduct

[TGD]

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, yesterday said that the impact of the changes he initiated upon assumption of office were being clouded by the past misdeeds of the electoral umpire. He did not spare the Commission's officials of blame in Nigerians' continued waning faith in INEC's ability to conduct credible polls in April as he accused them of colluding with corrupt politicians to manipulate past elections.

Jega spoke yesterday in Abuja at a three-day retreat for electoral officers (EOs) drawn from the 774 local councils in the country.

According to him, because of the indecent conduct of INEC officials in the past, a lot of Nigerians do not still believe that the commission was capable of conducting free, fair and credible elections next month.

There were also indications yesterday that 63 political parties are set to sign a code of conduct with INEC on peaceful conduct of the forthcoming polls. The revised conduct document was ratified during a recent retreat held between INEC and the parties in Calabar, Cross River State.

Mrs. Funmi Wakama, the Programme Manager, Media and Outreach of the International Republican Institute (IRI), the facilitators of the event, said yesterday that the revised code of conduct would guide the political parties on how to comport themselves before, during and after the elections.

A similar pact was signed in 2006 ahead of the 2007 polls.

Jega, who admonished the electoral officers to conduct themselves in an honest, decent and transparent manner at the event with the theme: "Free, fair and credible elections in April," said "Nigerians view us with mixed feelings; there are so many Nigerians who still worry whether INEC can deliver free, fair and credible elections. There are Nigerians who feel that the enormous changes taking place in the commission can permeate to the grassroots to ensure free and fair elections.

"This perception has a lot to do with the problems of the past and the ways in which the elections and other assignments were handled. Many of us have not discharged our responsibilities with integrity, honesty and efficiency as required of us."

Admitting that the members of staff of INEC might not be enjoying the best of welfare commensurate with the risks associated with their jobs, the INEC boss said there were some employees, who have capitalised on the development to collude with some unscrupulous politicians in bringing disrepute to the commission through their conduct.

"There are some of us who are abusing their trust rather than adding values to what the commission stands for. Anybody who elects to be fraudulent through inefficient conduct would not be condoned and protected because we cannot continue to promote the business-as-usual syndrome and be undermining our job.

"Therefore, we urge you to obey the law and the regulations in place and avoid any electoral offences. If you do that, you are absolutely on your own, as we are strengthening the mechanisms to detect those who undermine our efforts and you can be sure that we will punish culprits and curtail the impunity that characterised the work of the commission in the past.

"Therefore, if there is anybody who thinks his job is to collude with fraudulent politicians to undermine our job, they should be prepared to face the music because we will not condone it, we will not protect such a person. So, it is important we do self-cleansing so that the negative perception of INEC is erased once and for-all," he said.

Source: Jega to INEC officials: No more room for misconduct