Leaked information can lead to significant reputational harm
Increasingly, the machinery of government in Nigeria seems to be finding it difficult to protect the confidentiality of information used in policymaking and administration. Apparently in a bid to tackle the menace, the federal government through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation issued a memo in February. According to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, “Any officer caught engaging in such unbecoming act will be severely dealt with in line with the relevant provisions of the Public Service Rules and other extant circulars.”
Unfortunately, nobody seems to be paying attention to what seems to be another empty threat. In Nigeria, no official document is sacred anymore and it is those charged with protecting these materials that often give them out either for malicious intent against other persons or to justify their own actions. Presidential memos, reports by the Police and Army, documents from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Department of State Services (DSS), Customs and Excise papers, and any other documents can be given out for splashing on the pages of newspapers. The worst culprits are officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In the bid to score political points, reports of ongoing investigations (along with supporting documents) are leaked with impunity.
We are mindful of the fact that the emergence of Julie Asange’s Wikileaks and indeed the internet has engendered a situation where leaking state secrets and other data and information considered ‘highly confidential’ is now almost a fad of sorts. This has made every country to guard with greater care information that could compromise national security or the well-being of their citizens. What is bizarre in our own case is that it is those who are charged with safeguarding sensitive documents that often leak them to the public. This is reprehensible.
We have had cases of information released about people accused of corrupt practices ahead of trial only to emerge victorious at the courts. This is what happens in a milieu where professionalism and responsible statecraft are thrown to the dogs by agencies of state. Naming and shaming may have its uses, but it most often compromises legal actions when pre-emptive leakages transfer serious matters to cheaply sought public verdict. Yet, as we keep reminding our anti-corruption agencies, propaganda cannot substitute for serious investigation and diligent prosecution.
For sure, there have always been leaks in government. And it is not peculiar to Nigeria. Government, all over the world, sometimes indulges in leaks for different reasons: To test the waters, to justify an action already taken or indeed to communicate information to the public in a clandestine manner. But these are exceptions rather than the norm. In the case of Nigeria, the flow of unauthorised information to the public domain is now almost at the discretion of everyone in government.
We reaffirm our commitment to transparency and the right of the public to know about the goings-on in government. We also uphold the Freedom of Information Act which gives Nigerians the legal right to ask for and access information and documents held by the government or its agencies in the bid to promote such openness. We, however, frown at the torrential outpouring of official documents in a manner that practically subverts the state.
We must remind public officials that these leaks have costs and consequences. They are also taking a toll on the reputation of the current administration. It is therefore time our new crop of officials realised that unauthorised release of confidential information discredits the government, weakens the decision-making process, and helps to undermine national security.
