By BEN AGANDE

No fewer than ten directors in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, may be asked to leave this month under the proposed reforms of the National Chairman of the Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that of this number, six are to come from the Abuja headquarters of the commission while the rest are drawn from the states. The list of the affected officials was drawn up by a committee set up by the commission for the exercise.

The committee, Sunday Vanguard gathered was headed by a national commissioner whose report was discussed and endorsed by the commission two weeks ago. Letters of disengagement, it was learnt, would be issued to the affected staff before the end of this month.

It was gathered that almost all of them have served in that capacity for more than eight years.  They thus fall in the category of civil servants affected by the directive of the Head of Civil service of the Federation that directors who have served for eight years must retire.
It was learnt that while other government agencies, parastatals and commissions complied with the directive, the commission did not  because its leadership claimed it was not a ‘core civil service set up’.

A top official of INEC told Sunday Vanguard that ‘the commission is top heavy and the vital areas in terms of staffing are unpardonably lacking.  That is what the commission is trying to correct as it strives to reposition itself for the challenge of credible elections. “For instance, the former chairman created the position of three Deputy Secretaries when it became obvious that some of his loyalists were affected by the directives from the head of service. The office of Deputy Secretaries is unknown to all the statues of the commission and that is why since he assumed office, the chairman has refused to deal with the deputy secretaries” the source added.

Calls to the Director, Public Affairs of INEC, Mr Emmanuel Umenger and the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of INEC, Mr Kayode Idowu for confirmation did not get through. Text messages sent to their phones were unanswered at press time.