[size=16pt]Drama as Enugu REC rejects Chime’s gift
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Uwakwe Abugu, Enugu

THERE was drama in Enugu yesterday as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Enugu State, Mr. Josiah Uwazuruonye, turned down the Christmas gifts sent to the premises of the Enugu office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the Government House, Enugu, saying he did not need them to survive.
He said since the gifts were coming from an interested party (Governor Sullivan Chime) in the elections in which INEC will play the role of an umpire, it would amount to compromising the integrity and credibility of the commission to accept such gifts now that the new INEC has vowed to live up to expectations of Nigerians in the next year’s elections.
We gathered that the gift items included four cows, about fifty bags of rice, cartons of tin tomatoes and wine and that they were delivered to the INEC office on Tuesday evening by protocol officers.
Sources hinted yesterday that Uwazuruonye was not comfortable with the gesture when he was informed about it and promptly ordered the government officials to take the items away from the premises of the commission.
When the news of the mild drama made the round yesterday and newsmen made inquiries, the Resident Electoral Commissioner had said nothing happened but later spoke , saying he did not need such gifts to do his work, especially when it was coming from an interested party in the crucial elections next year.
He further clarified that it is an offence for anyone working in the commission to receive such gesture when elections are drawing near.
His words: “I rejected the gifts because I don’t require cow or any other gift from the governor or any person to do my work. No matter how you look at it, whether it is offered in the spirit of the season or not, people will say you have been compromised, that you have been bribed.
“Beyond that, however, I want to say that it is very wrong of the government to do so, especially knowing the situation of our politics, which the present INEC is trying to salvage.
“If it were in the military regime when you receive such a thing, you will be said to have entered a treaty but now, such gifts will earn you disqualification,” he stated.

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A good development if indeed this episode occurred. I hope we have many more individuals who still want to have their integrity intact before and after the elections.

For that simple gesture of the REC, he has written his name in Gold.

History will be kind to him and his generations.

May the Lord bless him, his children and childrens' children.