The Nigerian government has said any civil servants caught engaging in the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive government documents will be severely dealt with.
The Federation’s Head of Civil Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan, on Monday in a memo titled “Curtailing the Unauthorised Disclosure of Official Documents” expressed concerns about the recent leaks of sensitive information, labelling them “embarrassing” and “unacceptable.”
“It has been observed with dismay, the increase in the cases of leakage of sensitive official documents in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA). This is very embarrassing to the government and therefore unacceptable,” the memo reads.
“As part of the efforts to curb this undesirable development, all Permanent Secretaries are to fast-track the migration to the digitalized workflow system and ensure effective deployment of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Solution. This will reduce physical contact with official documents, thereby checking the increasing incidence of leakage and circulation of same.”
The announcement comes after several high-profile leaks of government documents in recent months. These leaks have exposed a range of confidential matters, from financial records to policy proposals, triggering public debate and scrutinising government actions.
The federal government, in the latest memo, therefore instructs permanent secretaries to warn staff against “leaking and circulating official information and documents.”
It noted that any officer caught will be severely dealt with in line with the relevant provisions of the Public Service Rules and other extant circulars.
“This circular therefore reinforces the circular on “Unauthorized Circulation of Official Documents/Information On Social Media” Ref. No. HCSF/3065/Vol.1/94, dated 2nd August, 2021; and other regulations prohibiting unauthorised disclosure/leakage of official documents.”
FG, however, urged permanent secretaries to ensure strict compliance with the contents of this circular and draw the attention of the heads of the agencies under their supervision to the same.
