2015 polls: INEC vows to punish indicted officials

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2015 polls: INEC vows to punish indicted officials

The Independent National Electoral Commission has promised to punish any of its staff members found guilty of allegations against by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission during the 2015 general elections.

This was contained in INEC’s daily bulletin forwarded to our correspondent by the Deputy Director in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Nick Dazang, on Wednesday.

The electoral umpire also in the bulletin announced the promotion of 1,307 of its members of staff across the country.

Dazang said the commission decided on Tuesday that INEC’s officials, who were found guilty by the EFCC of allegations against them during the 2015 polls be sanctioned according to the commission’s conditions of service.

“In respect of INEC members of staff facing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the conduct of the 2015 general elections, the commission decided that appropriate disciplinary action be meted out to them based on the INEC Staff Conditions of Service,” the bulletin stated.

Dazang added that the commission had set up a four-man committee to investigate the roles of its personnel in the December 10, 2016 legislative rerun elections in Rivers State.

He gave the names of members of the committee as Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, Chairman; AVM Ahmed T. Mu’azu, (National Commissioner), member; Prof. Jacob Jatau, (Resident Electoral Commissioner, FCT), member; Omoloja Tajudeen, Deputy Director (Discipline).

He said the committee was directed to submit its report on January 30, 2027.

The PUNCH had reported on Tuesday that the Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, had instituted a four-man panel to probe the activities of the commission’s members of staff in the Rivers polls.

Dazang said the commission approved the promotion of the affected personnel after a meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said, “Fourteen were officers promoted from Grade Level 16 to Grade Level 17 (substantive directors) while 1,293 were officers from Grade Levels 7 to 16.”

He stated that all those promoted passed their promotion examinations and met the rigorous criteria set by the commission.