The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that 202 of its members of staff who were indicted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly receiving part of the N23bn bribe money ahead of the 2015 elections would learn their fate next week.
The INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of the South-South, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, said that the final report of an administrative panel set up by the commission to review the indictment of the personnel by the EFCC would be considered by the commission at its meeting next week, the PUNCH reports.
According to her, the 202 INEC personnel whose names appeared on the EFCC’s report were drawn from 14 states.
She stated also that the 29 members of staff of the commission were indicted and recommended for disciplinary action by the Administrative Panel’s report on the December 20, 2016 rerun election in Rivers State led by Prof. Okechukwu Ibeano.
She said that the cases involving the indicted members of staff were before the commission’s disciplinary committee.
Agbamuche-Mbu added that the commission had fulfilled its promise to overhaul its office in Rivers State.
She said the reorganisation affected the administrative secretary, all heads of department, deputy directors, and assistant directors as well as all the 23 electoral officers in charge of the commission’s local government offices.
Agbamuche-Mbu said that all the affected members of staff would be redeployed out of Rivers State immediately.
Agbamuche-Mbu added that five more RECs would be leaving the commission by March 4, 2017 (Saturday) in addition to the 28 that had already left after completing their tenure.
She listed those leaving the commission in March to include “Prof. Jacob Jatau (FCT), Mr. Segun Agbaje (Ondo), Mr. Austin Okojie (Bayelsa), Baba Abba Yusuf (Adamawa) and Mr. Nasir Ayilara (Niger).”
Investigation further revealed that three RECs are billed to leave the commission after serving out their tenure in July.
A top source in the commission listed those exiting the commission in July to include Aniedi Ikoiwak (Rivers), Baritor Kpagih (Delta) and Habu Zarma Hinna (Taraba).
With the departure of the three RECs in July, INEC would be left with a REC, Abdulahi Kaigama of Kaduna State, if no REC had been appointed for other 36 states.