Arguing that the directive of the President had no foundation in a true democratic setting, Mudiaga-Odje who is facilitator of the Niger Delta Democratic Union said, “It is a slap on the face of the entire citizenry for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to direct that oaths of secrecy be publicly administered to his appointees”.

According to a statement made available to Vanguard “The germane question here is, what is the standard that will be used to draw the line between confidential and public information? Who draws the line? Is it Mr. President, his aides or the Judge who administered the oath?

“We don’t therefore need the clairvoyance of a Nostradamus again to know that the Presidency actually killed that important bill. Without access to information, how can government become transparent?

How do we measure the credibility of a government that operates in secrecy?

Continuing he said, “Since it is what they want us to hear that they will allow us hear, I and the tendencies we represent have lost confidence in this administration as a government of the people. Rather, it is ironically now a government of secrecy, if not mystery.

“And from a legal angle, there is really no constitutional backing for that action except the unmodified and anti-democratic Official Secrets Act of 13th September 1962 now in Chapter 3 of the Laws of the Federation, 2004, which law requires immediate expunction from our statutes.  Nigeria is a place where our laws are static and not evolutionary”.

“On transparency which is the government of participation required by democracy, Section 14(2) of the 1999 Constitution directs that the Federal Government must ensure “the participation by the people in their government.”

How are we expected to participate in accordance with this provision when Mr. President has decided to operate in secrecy?

“In point of fact, that very action in itself is a gross violation of the Constitution which is superior to the Official Secrets Act by virtue of Section 2(1) thereof. Even Section 15(4) directs that the Nigerian State “shall foster a feeling of belonging and of involvement among the various peoples of the Federation.”

The feeling of involvement can only arise if government is operated in the open and transparently to safeguard against impartiality, nepotism, bias, intrigues and gross manipulation of the people of the Niger Delta in particular, and Nigeria in general.”

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