INEC advocates ban of convicted office holders, politicians

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Attahiru Jega, has proposed the ban of convicted politicians as well as public office holders from participating in politics.

This he said would serve as deterrent to those seeking public positions.

Jega in an interview in the current edition of “Zero Tolerance’, a publication of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, stated that the ban on convicted politicians from the electoral process in some countries is laudable.

He however added that in Nigeria, such punishment should depend on the nature of the crime committed.

“Normally, there are arguments and debate in terms of what is the best system. If you catch somebody as a criminal and penalized him and he served the sentence, is that enough or not,” Mr Jega said.

“So that is what raises the question as to whether for example, if someone is arrested and prosecuted as a thief and he or she served a prison sentence whether they should also in addition be banned from participating in politics.


“In some countries, it is seen as good practice, that if somebody particularly a public officer is convicted of a criminal offence then he could be banned either for a duration or for life, from participation in politics.

“But I think these are important issues that we need to put in the public domain and have a discussion on what is the best practice that we should embrace.

“Personally, I think, depending on the level of the crime, we should ban people for particular periods before they can participate. It should not be a ban forever, but a particular period before they are allowed to participate in the electoral process.

“I think that can serve as a deterrent because those who want to be involved in politics will now have to be careful.”

The INEC boss observed that corruption remained the bane of Nigeria’s development, lamenting that the fight the menace was still not effective as expected.

Calling for a change of attitude, Jega posited: “If people who are entrusted with public responsibility at the most senior levels try to account for what they do, then I believe that it can inspire others within the organization to do likewise.

“But in addition to that, we must ensure that whoever is found wanting faces the law. The fight against corruption is a very important matter. In fact, it has impact on all spheres of our socio-economic life in this country, be it in the electoral process, in politics, in governance, and even in the economy and private sectors of the country.

http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/09/15/inec-advocates-ban-of-convicted-office-holders-politicians/

Who are they?


Hmmmm, interesting...




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