National Electoral Commission,
Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said he
does not have any plan to embark
on terminal leave.
This was contrary to
unsubstantiated report that Jega
would proceed on a forced terminal
leave on March 1.
But Jega’s Chief Press Secretary,
Mr. Kayode Idowu, denied this
saying his boss was busy preparing
for the conduct of the elections.
He said, “Jega is busy preparing for
the elections and you are asking
about terminal leave. Does anyone
planning to conduct elections go on
terminal leave? There is nothing
like that.”
Idowu had in an interview on a TV
programme monitored in Lagos, on
Tuesday, said Jega’s appointment
was not guided by civil service
rules and would serve until the end
of his tenure on June 30.
He said the postponement of the
elections would make INEC better
prepared for the elections
scheduled for March 28 and April
11.
Idowu also denied the report that
Jega had resigned his appointment
due to pressure from the
Presidency.
Idowu said, “No, that’s
(resignation) is not true, he has not
resigned. He didn’t resign. It is a
mere rumour.”
Similarly, the minority leader of
the House of Representatives, Mr.
Femi Gbajabiamila, said Jega could
not be asked to go on a terminal
leave because he was not a civil
servant.
He said, “I do not consider the
Chairman of INEC as a civil servant
subject to civil service rules the
same way I, as a member of the
House of Representatives, is not a
civil servant. There is a difference
between a civil servant and a
public servant or officer. Jega falls
under the latter.”
However, it was learnt that by
norm, political appointees had at
several times in the past been
ordered to go on terminal leave
even though they were not civil
servants.
The provisions of Public Service
Rules 100238 states that officers are
required to give three months
notice of their retirement from
service terminating on the effective
date of their retirement. This
means Jega might be forced to
proceed on terminal leave before
the elections.
For instance, the tenure of Jega’s
predecessor, Prof Maurice Iwu, was
due to expire on June 13, 2010 but
on April 28, 2010, President
Goodluck Jonathan, ordered Iwu to
proceed on terminal leave.
