Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has fired Dr. John Chen, Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC).
His expulsion from office followed the Benue State House of Assembly’s recommendation for his dismissal
In plenary on Thursday, the House, led by Speaker Mr. Hyacinth Dajoh, suggested that the Chairman be removed on the grounds of suspected incompetence.
This recommendation came after a discussion on the report of the House Standing Committee on Rules and Business, which had visited the Commission to gather facts.
In its resolution, the House also urged the state government to hire more employees in order to bolster the commission’s current staff.
It also pleaded with the state government to supply an operating vehicle park, a modern office block for staff and an access road to the Commission’s offices.
Governor Alia approved the sacking of the BSIEC Chairman, according to a statement released Friday by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, who stated that the Honourable members sent some resolutions to him for further implementation.
What they’re saying
“Among other things, these resolutions call for the removal of the Commission’s head, Dr John Chen.
“The Assembly accused the BSIEC chairman of lacking good judgement in determining which conclusion would appeal to the vast majority of all stakeholders, as well as of failing to act in the public interest during his tenure.
“Governor Alia has approved the resolutions and instructed the commission’s chairman to turn things over right away to the administrative secretary.”
In Essence
While the House of Assembly has the power to recommend the removal of the SIEC Chairman, the specific allegations of incompetence should be thoroughly investigated to ensure the decision is based on merit rather than political expediency.
The government should provide clear and detailed reasons for the chairman’s removal to enhance public trust in the electoral process. The stated excuse isn’t clear enough.
