I won’t go on terminal leave – Jega

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said he does not
have any plan to embark on terminal leave.
This was contrary to unsubstantiated report that Jega
would proceed on a forced terminal leave on March 1.
But Jega's Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kayode Idowu,
denied this saying his boss was busy preparing for the
conduct of the elections.
He said, "Jega is busy preparing for the elections and you
are asking about terminal leave. Does anyone planning
to conduct elections go on terminal leave? There is
nothing like that."
Idowu had in an interview on a TV programme
monitored in Lagos, on Tuesday, said Jega's appointment
was not guided by civil service rules and would serve
until the end of his tenure on June 30.
He said the postponement of the elections would make
INEC better prepared for the elections scheduled for
March 28 and April 11.
Idowu also denied the report that Jega had resigned his
appointment due to pressure from the Presidency.
Idowu said, "No, that's (resignation) is not true, he has
not resigned. He didn't resign. It is a mere rumour."
Similarly, the minority leader of the House of
Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, said Jega could
not be asked to go on a terminal leave because he was
not a civil servant.
He said, "I do not consider the Chairman of INEC as a
civil servant subject to civil service rules the same way I,
as a member of the House of Representatives, is not a
civil servant. There is a difference between a civil servant
and a public servant or officer. Jega falls under the
latter."
However, it was learnt that by norm, political appointees
had at several times in the past been ordered to go on
terminal leave even though they were not civil servants.
The provisions of Public Service Rules 100238 states
that officers are required to give three months notice of
their retirement from service terminating on the
effective date of their retirement. This means Jega might
be forced to proceed on terminal leave before the
elections.
For instance, the tenure of Jega's predecessor, Prof
Maurice Iwu, was due to expire on June 13, 2010 but on
April 28, 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan, ordered
Iwu to proceed on terminal leave.