Date Published: 04/29/10

Iwu refuses to hand over, says my tenure ends in June

...As fears grip 20 Directors overdue for retirement

Maurice Iwu

In flagrant disregard for a presidential directive, sacked former Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Maurice Iwu has said that his tenure expires in June and as such can still be addressed and regarded as the substantive chairman of the electoral body.

Professor Iwu was on Tuesday directed by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to proceed on a terminal leave with immediate effect in an effort aimed at revamping the thoroughly corrupt electoral agency.

But defiant Iwu told staff at INEC during a meeting yesterday that his tenure expires June 5, 2010 insisting that “I can still be reached till June 5, 2010”

Under his tenure, Iwu asked his Deputy Secretaries and Directors to ignored a Federal Government directive which ordered Permanent Secretaries and Directors who would be eight years in office in January 1 2010 to prepare their pre-retirement notes.

According to a source, Iwu co-habited with the Deputy Secretaries and Directors and together, they formed a team to drum support for his tenure elongation using a specially designated fund from the electoral agency.

A source informed Pointblanknews.com that Iwu’s team of Deputy Secretaries who would have been reitired under the new Federal Government civil service rule were largely responsible for all the propagandas including protests aimed at pushing for Iwu’s second tenure.

With his sacking, the fate of the Deputy Secretaries and Directors overdue for retirement now hang in the balance.

They are: Deputy Secretary (Publicity and Election Observation), Steve Osemeke; Deputy Secretary (Administration) E.A. Johnson, Deputy Secretary (Operations), AbdulRahman Madaki, Mrs. M.E. Ikwunja, Tijani Kolo; Dahiru Ibrahim; Mustapha Kuta; Sampson Akpan; and Mrs. O.O. Adejumo.

The Administrative Secretaries/Directors at INEC state offices who may disengage from service are: Nadabo Usman (Sokoto); Mrs. Edwins Ene (FCT); Jafaru Gabdo (Bauchi); Umar S. Aliyu (Nasarawa); Muktar Aliyu (Zonal Director-Minna); Musa T. Kuta (Plateau); Michael S. N’Allah (Kebbi); Anthony Agbache (Delta); P.T. Olagbende (Ondo); Lawal Jar (Zonal Director); and Dr. Aniemena Chukwudi (Zonal Director, Port Harcourt).