Follow due process of Law on
Jega's tenure, Lagos Activist tells JonathanSodiq Oyeleke
A Lagos based human rights activist and Executive Chairman,Centre for
Human Rights and Social Justice(CHRSJ) has appealed to the President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to allow the rule of law and other laws of the
land to guide against his decision on the legitimate terminal leave of
the Chairman,Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC),Professor
attaihiru Jega,maintaining that the law provided for Professor Jega to
proceed on terminal leave by March 24th,2015,insisting that President
should the rule of the gimme as being stipulated in the extant rules
and time-honoured convention on the three(3) months end of public
officer.
This calls became necessary ,as a result of the recent controversy
whether the Federal Government would sack Professor Jega or not as
general elections are drawing nearer,recalling that President Jonathan
nominated Jega on June 8th,2010 and Senate confirmed his(Jega)
appointment on the 24th of June ,2010 when the appointment took
effect.
Rights' activist who also warned Professor Jega not to allow the
opposition All Progressives Congress(APC) to make him sacrificial lamp
for selfish interest which was part of their desperation to rule the
country at all cost,condemning the way and manner the issue of INEC
boss was dragging in the polity,as if there was no law guiding the
tenure of the occupant of the office,advising President Jonathan if
the need be, for Professor Jega to proceed on three(3) months terminal
leave, to appoint one of the National Commissioners as acting Chairman
of the electoral body for the period of three months as stipulated by
law.
Comrade Sulaiman who spoke on the issue of national importance through
a signed Statement, which a copy was made available to newsmen in
Lagos yesterday,cautioned the opposition and their co-travelers to
stop creating tension in the polity over the subject matter,believing
that President Jonathan would not do anything that would contravene
the law on the issue and President would not engage in anything that
would derail the current nurturing democracy.
CHRSJ Chief urged the opposition to concentrate more on how they would
win the forthcoming general elections,advising them to know that
Professor Attaihiru Jega was the appointee of federal government
under Jonathan not under opposition party.
His words:"The laws of the land have boldly stated on the tenure of
public servant like in the case of Professor Attaihiru Jega and
opposition should stop doing as if they appointed Professor Jega into
office or are they using the issue as a way to score cheap political
popularity.I will like to refer the public to the section of the laws
that made clear explanatory on the issue.The section 152 of the
electoral act 2010,amended,clearly empowered the federal government to
delegate any of Jega's function to any of the Commission's National
Commissioners in the case of terminal leave or otherwise for the time
being"
"Section 153,159(3&4) and 166(c) of the 1999 constitution as amended
in 20111,enumerated that Jega is not a Chief Executive Officer(CEO)
but a mere 'Primus inter pares' and any member(National Commissioner)
of the Commission can act in case of any foreseeable vacancy",Sulaiman
added.
CHRSJ boss who allayed fear of the public that the forthcoming
elections would be slightly affected if Professor Jega proceeds on
statutory three months terminal leave,said there won't be any problem
during the elections if anybody leaves office,particularly at this
crucial time in the country,noting that"Nigeria should let their mind
be at rest over Jega's tenure in office as Jega's case can not be a
different.Recently,the National Chairman of the National Population
Commission(NPC) proceeds on three months terminal leave and nothing
happens and that is what the law says,we should ready to abide by the
rules of the game so as to have peaceful atmosphere in our land" .
A Lagos based human rights activist and Executive Chairman,Centre for
Human Rights and Social Justice(CHRSJ) has appealed to the President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to allow the rule of law and other laws of the
land to guide against his decision on the legitimate terminal leave of
the Chairman,Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC),Professor
attaihiru Jega,maintaining that the law provided for Professor Jega to
proceed on terminal leave by March 24th,2015,insisting that President
should the rule of the gimme as being stipulated in the extant rules
and time-honoured convention on the three(3) months end of public
officer.
This calls became necessary ,as a result of the recent controversy
whether the Federal Government would sack Professor Jega or not as
general elections are drawing nearer,recalling that President Jonathan
nominated Jega on June 8th,2010 and Senate confirmed his(Jega)
appointment on the 24th of June ,2010 when the appointment took
effect.
Rights' activist who also warned Professor Jega not to allow the
opposition All Progressives Congress(APC) to make him sacrificial lamp
for selfish interest which was part of their desperation to rule the
country at all cost,condemning the way and manner the issue of INEC
boss was dragging in the polity,as if there was no law guiding the
tenure of the occupant of the office,advising President Jonathan if
the need be, for Professor Jega to proceed on three(3) months terminal
leave, to appoint one of the National Commissioners as acting Chairman
of the electoral body for the period of three months as stipulated by
law.
Comrade Sulaiman who spoke on the issue of national importance through
a signed Statement, which a copy was made available to newsmen in
Lagos yesterday,cautioned the opposition and their co-travelers to
stop creating tension in the polity over the subject matter,believing
that President Jonathan would not do anything that would contravene
the law on the issue and President would not engage in anything that
would derail the current nurturing democracy.
CHRSJ Chief urged the opposition to concentrate more on how they would
win the forthcoming general elections,advising them to know that
Professor Attaihiru Jega was the appointee of federal government
under Jonathan not under opposition party.
His words:"The laws of the land have boldly stated on the tenure of
public servant like in the case of Professor Attaihiru Jega and
opposition should stop doing as if they appointed Professor Jega into
office or are they using the issue as a way to score cheap political
popularity.I will like to refer the public to the section of the laws
that made clear explanatory on the issue.The section 152 of the
electoral act 2010,amended,clearly empowered the federal government to
delegate any of Jega's function to any of the Commission's National
Commissioners in the case of terminal leave or otherwise for the time
being"
"Section 153,159(3&4) and 166(c) of the 1999 constitution as amended
in 20111,enumerated that Jega is not a Chief Executive Officer(CEO)
but a mere 'Primus inter pares' and any member(National Commissioner)
of the Commission can act in case of any foreseeable vacancy",Sulaiman
added.
CHRSJ boss who allayed fear of the public that the forthcoming
elections would be slightly affected if Professor Jega proceeds on
statutory three months terminal leave,said there won't be any problem
during the elections if anybody leaves office,particularly at this
crucial time in the country,noting that"Nigeria should let their mind
be at rest over Jega's tenure in office as Jega's case can not be a
different.Recently,the National Chairman of the National Population
Commission(NPC) proceeds on three months terminal leave and nothing
happens and that is what the law says,we should ready to abide by the
rules of the game so as to have peaceful atmosphere in our land" .
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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