By Gabriel Atumeyi
365Daily – A Civil Society Organisation, Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative (CAACASVI), has faulted the Federal Government’s directive on dismissing civil servants who leak official documents on social media.
The Federal Government had earlier raised the alarm over what it described as incessant unauthorised disclosure of official documents on social media and other platforms.
It threatened to henceforth dismiss officials caught doing so.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, handed down the warning in an August 2, 2021 circular.
The circular, titled ‘Unauthorised circulation of official documents/information on social media’ was marked HCSF/3065/Vol.1 /94.
This is the second time the HOCSF will be threatening to wield the big stick in about one year having issued a similar circular in May 2020.
In the fresh circular, Yemi-Esan said her office would be relying on the provisions of the Public Service Rules 030401 and 030402 in dismissing those who continue in what she described as the “reckless action” and “unwholesome practice.”
The circular reads partly, “The unwholesome practice involves posting/reposting of secret, confidential and classified government correspondences, policy drafts, minutes, notes, memos, etc., on social media.
“This reckless action is tantamount to a breach of the Oath of Secrecy public servants swore to, and a serious misconduct which may lead to dismissal from the service, as provided in the Public Service Rules 030401 and 030402.
“Henceforth, any officer caught posting/reporting government documents on social media and other platforms without authorisation would be severely disciplined in accordance with the provisions of the PSR.
Heads of government agencies who copies of the circular were made available to include the Chief of Staff to the President; Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice-President; ministers; Secretary to the Government of the Federation; permanent secretaries; service chiefs/lnspector-GeneräI of Police; and Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria.
But in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Executive Director, Comrade Olumuyiwa Onlede, CAACASVI said that given the pervasive corruption and fraud in public offices and agencies, such directives should not be a blanket order as differentiation should be made as some of these documents and even leakages are and could be in the interest of the public.
He said: “Those who are privileged to serve or hold public offices do so with the trust of the people (Citizens) and so by that all transactions and dealings in the administration of government offices must all constitute open secret.
“It is of great concern to see how chief accounting officers of government agencies threaten employees with sanction just in a bid to intimidate them to keep vital secret of unfair practices from getting to the public domain even when those practices are injurious to the economy of the country and her people. Prominent among those issuing these treat are the Head of Service of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary of the State House.
“In as much as we do not support leakage of vital documents that may jeopardise security, good policies and strategies of government. We are of the opinion that the treat, warning and directive of Chief accounting Officers of government agencies to employees about document leakage must not be a blanket order, but that which will differentiate between documents, whether those documents include that which can help the nation anti graft agencies in the fight against corrupt practices even among highly placed government officers as being advocated by the present administration at the center.
“For the progress of our nation, Nigeria, we urge CEOs of government agencies to desist from practices that will warrant few patriotic employees of government under them to leak vital information about such actions to the public so as to get the attention of relevant authorities to take appropriate actions against erring management of such offices before they bring down the office in a bid to enrich themselves.
“We urge employees of government to always stand for the truth and make integrity their watchword as that will be the only way to guarantee a prosperous nation.”