OpinionOPINION: NIGER REC: KEEPING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT

OPINION: NIGER REC: KEEPING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT

A report of alleged N44.3 million bribe, leveled against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Niger State, was published in some dailies of Tuesday, July 22, 2014. It is against the backdrop of the report and the erroneous impression it conveyed to the reading public that I write to set the records straight.

Neither the Honourable Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the State, Emmanuel Onucheyo, nor the members of staff collected any money in respect of the implementation of the road map of the state’s Inter- Agency Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (SICVEP).

SICVEP was inaugurated in Niger State on June 5, 2014 in keeping with the directive of the National Headquarters of the Commission. At the national level, the Committee known as the National Inter-Agency Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (NICVEP) has as members, some government agencies and professional bodies.

Some of the government agencies include the Federal Ministry of Information, National orientation Agency and Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, among others. The Nigeria Union of Journalists and Nigeria Guild of Editors form part of the professional membership.

Consequently, the REC, Onucheyo wrote to Niger State Government before the inauguration of the State’s chapter of the Committee for the release of nominees. After the inauguration, a Technical Committee was set up and it came out with the road map for the implementation of the Voter education goals of the Commission.

Attached to the road map of that sub-committee was a financial implication which was not attended to by INEC Niger State. It is therefore not correct for anyone or political party to allege that the Commission and its leadership in Niger State were given a bribe of N44.3 million. This allegation is false and should therefore be disregarded.

Written by Madaki Wase, the Public Affairs Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Niger State.

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