Government officials pay tithes to PDP

By Terfa Tilley-Gyado


August 29, 2010 05:44AM
 
Political appointees have been directed to pay five percent of their basic salaries to the People's Democratic Party (PDP) throughout their stay in office.

Just last week, defaulting appointees were reminded of their dues when the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, sent a terse letter to all ministers demanding the payment of the dues.

Citing a section of the PDP constitution as his backing, Mr Ahmed instructed federal ministers to act as collectors and to deposit the collected funds into the party's account at Unity Bank.

", all party men and women elected or appointed at the instance of the PDP, including ambassadors and board chairmen at the federal level, are required to contribute five percent of their basic allowances or remuneration to the party. The directive is effective from the day they are appointed," Mr Ahmed said in the memo, exclusively obtained by NEXT.

This letter has allegedly been endorsed by relevant ministers and passed on to all or most heads of parastatals.

Paying their dues

Sources who spoke to NEXT said all political appointees have to pay the levy, whether or not they belong to the PDP. Others conceded that they have been paying the dues and expressed no alarm at PDP's demand.

In some instances, the percentage is taken from the source and the appointee need not make a trip to the bank. It is not clear how many ministers and top-level government officials make these payments, but according to the SGF, the ministers must not only serve as collectors but as petty accountants. The ministers are to forward duplicate copies of all payments made to Mr Ahmed's office.

"Thereafter, you are required to forward a copy of payments made in this regard to my office for information," he instructed, adding that "all monthly contributions subsequently collected should also be treated in the same manner."

The PDP vs the people

Government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, condemned Mr Ahmed, accusing him of abusing his office to pursue his political affiliations.

"Should the structure and institutions of government be converted into a PDP funding institution?" one source asked.

"This means that only people who will dance to their tunes of 5 percent will be appointed into political office, whether or not they are qualified."
Kayode Ajulo, an Abuja-based attorney, believes that Mr Ahmed should be relieved of his duties for abuse of office. He said that for him to use the instrument of government to "fan the interest of a political party is absurd."

"The office of the SGF is totally different from the person of Yayale Ahmed. The office of the SGF has its own operating manual, and writing memos for political parties is not one of it," said Mr. Ajulo.

Mr. Ajulo said that the party should apologise to Nigerians and return the money they have collected to the coffers of the government. He also called for the resignation or the sack of the SGF within seven days.

"Any sensible and reasonable president would ensure that this is redressed," he said.

Another lawyer and human rights activist, Obo Effanga, believes it is a breach of public office for the SGF, who is a public servant, to use state apparatus to collect contributions and remit them to a private and non-state institution, such as a political party.

Mr. Effanga said the PDP was at liberty to decide how much it wants to levy its members who may be in government, but Mr Ahmed is working for the country, not the party.

"I don't care what responsibility his party gives him, as far as he is the SGF, his responsibility is based on the oath of office and oath of allegiance he took.

"The office he holds demands him to be neutral and do good to all Nigerians. Will the SGF be right to set up a scheme to ensure that staff under him pay and remit zakat and tithes to their respective religious bodies, in fulfilment of their religious obligations, which the constitution allows them? Certainly not, for those are private matters, not state matters. It would be surprising if the president was unaware of this," he said.

Drumming up funds
National publicity secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Lai Mohammed, said though paying the dues was not wrong, it should have been done by the party itself.

"It is a problem. I see the SGF just as a minister and will it be right for a minister to ask all his board members to contribute their dues? It should have been the party doing that, not the SGF."

While it is not certain that appointees who do not belong to the PDP are required to pay the levy, an official who claims he does not belong to any political party said he received the memo nonetheless.

The source accused the PDP of desperately trying to raise funds for the 2011 elections.

"Are they becoming this desperate or is the SGF's office now an extension of Wadata house?" he asked.

All of our efforts to contact Mr. Ahmed for his response to our findings were not successful, that is until just a few minutes before we went to press. We then asked him why he wrote and sent the Memo. He said he considers himself a politician and since the party constitution says members should pay 5%, he merely wrote to remind them of their obligation. "If the ANPP asked me to remind its appointees, I will do that for them," he said.

Mr Ahmed however said that all payments will be done through the party.