Government Cracks Down on Document Leaks Exposing Questionable Expenditures
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to clamp down on the leakage of official documents, following a series of recent leaks exposing questionable expenditures by public officials amid Nigeria’s worsening economic crisis.
Folashade Yemi-Esan, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, expressed concern over the frequent disclosure of sensitive official documents within ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), describing the leaks as “very embarrassing.”
In a circular dated 19 February, Ms Yemi-Esan urged government officials to fast-track the migration to a digitalized workflow system and ensure the effective deployment of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Solution to prevent future leaks.
The circular, titled ‘Measures to curtail the leakage of sensitive official information/documents in MDAs,’ was issued to 24 top heads of government institutions, including the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, the Clerk of the National Assembly, and the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court.
The directive comes in the wake of recent leaks exposing Betta Edu’s authorization of payments totaling N585.2 million into the private bank account of a civil servant at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The leaked memo revealed that Edu requested the transfer of funds, a move that violates Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009.
Additionally, a leaked memo showed that a firm linked to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, received N438 million as payment for ‘consultancy fees’ from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. Tunji-Ojo denied involvement in the contract, stating that he had resigned as director of the company in 2019.
In response to the leaks, President Tinubu suspended Edu from office as Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, also came under scrutiny after approving a N3 billion request from Edu concerning COVID-19 funds.
The circular issued by the Head of Civil Service serves as a reminder to all government officials to handle sensitive information with care and to adhere to established protocols to prevent unauthorized disclosure. It underscores the importance of maintaining transparency and accountability in government operations, especially during times of economic hardship.
Premium Times
