205 members of staff at the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) have been suspended and placed on half salary,
after the consideration of a report by the Disciplinary Committee set up to
look into an interim report by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), accusing some of its officials of fraud during the 2015 General
Elections.
INEC claims N3 billion was spent in bribing electoral commissioners in 16 states during the 2015 general election.
A statement signed by INEC National Commissioner, Mr Mohammed Haruna,
reads:
"You may recall that late last year, the Commission received an
Interim Report from the EFCC detailing allegations against 202 serving and
retired INEC officials and staff in 16 States of the Federation. In furtherance
of its zero tolerance for corruption in the electoral process, the Commission
ordered a thorough investigation into the allegations to establish the
culpability or otherwise of those named in the EFCC Report. The Committee’s
work was thorough and painstaking, involving issuance of queries to the 202
staff mentioned in the Report and interviewing them individually in accordance
with the principle of fair hearing and in consonance with INEC Staff Conditions
of Service. As a result of initial findings of the Committee, an
additional 80 serving officials of the Commission, who were not named in the
EFCC report but whose names came up in the course of the investigation, were
also queried and interviewed.
"The Committee found that:
a) There was a clear attempt to bribe INEC staff to influence the
outcome of the 2015 general elections using an NGO, the West African Network of
Election Observers (WANEO), made up mainly of retired senior INEC officials.
b) Out of over 23 billion Naira, which the EFCC report said was used to
influence the elections, the Committee established that 3,046,829,000 Naira was
received by INEC staff in 16 States.
"In reaching its decision on the findings of the Committee, the
Commission adhered strictly to the INEC Staff Conditions of Service. The
Commission therefore decided as follows:
a) The cases of one former National Commissioner, 5 former Resident
Electoral Commissioners (one of them deceased) have been referred to the
Presidency and EFCC for further necessary action.
b) Based on their level of involvement, two hundred and five (205)
serving INEC staff will be immediately placed on Interdiction, which entails
suspension from duties and being placed on half salary, pending the final
determination of the cases they have with the EFCC.
c) Seventy staff (70) about whom there was insufficient information
regarding their involvement will be referred back to EFCC for further
investigation and possible prosecution.
d) WANEO and its principal promoters are immediately blacklisted. The network
shall no longer be involved in election observation and any other activities
organised by INEC.
"The Commission hereby reiterates its commitment to defending the
integrity of the electoral process. Therefore, it will continue to take stern
action against its officials who compromise its core values of integrity,
transparency and impartiality in the conduct of elections.
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