FG issues warning to civil servants leaking documents

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, is taking proactive measures to prevent the leakage of sensitive official documents to the public.

Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, addressed the issue in a memorandum dated February 19, 2024, available on the Office’s website. She expressed concern about the growing embarrassment caused by the unauthorized release of such documents and deemed it unacceptable.

The memo, identified as HCSF/3065/VI/189, stated, “There has been a regrettable increase in the incidents of sensitive official document leaks within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. This poses a significant embarrassment to the government and is deemed unacceptable.”

In response to this challenge, all permanent secretaries are instructed to expedite the transition to a digitalized workflow system and ensure the effective implementation of the Enterprise Content Management Solution. This strategic move aims to minimize physical handling of official documents, thereby mitigating the escalating problem of leaks and unauthorized circulation.

The memo also advises permanent secretaries to emphatically caution their staff against leaking and disseminating official information and documents.

The government has witnessed a rise in the exposure of sensitive documents in the public domain. Notably, a recent memo from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, outlining plans to allocate a sum of N500 as allowances to members of the tripartite committee on the minimum wage, became public. Additionally, a memo related to a substantial subsidy for Hajj, purportedly originating from the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun’s office, was also disclosed.

These revelations have sparked outrage among Civil Society Organizations and organized labor, prompting calls for investigations into such allocations.