Bureaucrats in politics pose threat to democratic process –INEC

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that the involvement of bureaucrats in politics will pose serious threat to the democratic gains recorded so far. INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, expressed the feelings in his keynote address at the first quarterly meeting of the forum of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation with Secretaries to State Government held in Abuja on Friday. Represented by a National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, the commission’s boss said that credible elections engender effective bureaucracy.

“The fact needs be stressed that credible elections engender effective bureaucracy. Conversely, when elections are fraught with malpractices, the recruitment process of political office holders is negatively impacted. In effect, public office holders may not have what it takes to put in place credible bureaucracy to better the lot of the ruled.

“I wish to conclude my remark by sounding this note of advice to all of us seated here today bureaucrats; we must continue to uphold utmost professionalism at all times. This is necessary as political office holders may easily lure you into politics thereby politicizing the bureaucratic set-up and destroy the fabrics of the profession. Political patronage among civil and public servants has the potential to destroy the gains attained over the years,” he said.