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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday
suspended 205 of its staff members enmeshed in a N23 billion bribe to
rig the 2015 general elections.
The indicted officials are alleged to have been involved in a plot
to rig the election in the favour of former president Goodluck
Jonathan.
The Commission also revealed that one its former National
Commissioners (unnamed) was involved in the distribution of the alleged
N23bn which was released by former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Deziani
Allison Madueke, to bribe its staff members to rig the 2015 general
elections.
INEC, in a press briefing yesterday, said that the unnamed former
national commissioner also contracted a Non-Government Organisation
(NGO) named West African Network of Election Observers (WANECO), which
it noted, is being run by retired senior INEC officials, to distribute
the bribe to its staff members in 16 states of the federation.
These revelations were made by INEC National Commissioner, Mallam
Mohammed Haruna, who briefed the media along with three other National
Commissioners, Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, May Agbamuche-Mbu, after the
commissions weekly meeting in Abuja.
He noted that the commission ordered a thorough investigation
into the allegation to establish the culpability or otherwise of all
the staff members named in the EFCC report. He affirmed that the
commission has placed a total of 205 members of its staff on suspension
with half salaries, pending the determination of their cases.
“The Commission met today to consider the report of its expanded
Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee on the EFCC Interim
Report on Bribery Corruption and Money Laundering Charges During the
2015 General Elections. 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 members
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.
“Among other things, the Committee found out that 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. Out
of over N23 billion, which the EFCC Report said was used to influence
the elections, the Committee established that N3,046,829,000 was
received by INEC staff in 16 States.”
The Commission noted that in reaching its decision on the findings
of the Committee, it adhered strictly to the INEC Staff Conditions of
Service and therefore decided as follows:
“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.”
“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 salaries,
pending the final determination of the cases they have with the EFCC,”
the committee said.
INEC also disclosed that it has returned to the EFCC, for further
investigation and possible prosecution, the files of 70 staff members
about whom there was insufficient information regarding their
involvement.
Meanwhile, the NGO, which was fingered in the alleged bribe
scandal, has been blacklisted and will no longer take part in any INEC
organised event – according to the Commission.
