Jega Must Publish Contracts For Printing Ballot Papers, Group Urges

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Corruption Watch

UK, and the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ)
have sent an open letter to the Chairman of the Independent National
Electoral Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega seeking his “Clarifications
on the contracts for printing ballot papers for the 2015 elections.”

The groups expressed “Concerns at suggestions that INEC may have overpaid
considerably for the ballot papers. Information passed to us suggests that
INEC may have paid as much as four times more for the ballot papers than
they cost to produce. If true, this raises serious issues of transparency
and accountability in the procurement process by INEC, and will amount to
a fundamental breach of the UN Convention against Corruption, to which
Nigeria is a state party.”

The groups argued that, “Transparent, competitive and efficient
procurement systems are part of the broad measures needed to curb
corruption in the electoral process, and to achieve a fair political
process and ultimately, the rule of law.”

The letter dated 6 February 2015 was signed by SERAP executive director
Adetokunbo Mumuni; Corruption Watch director Andrew Feinstein, and ANEEJ
executive director David Ugolor.

According to the groups, “there must be full transparency over the
contracts to print the ballot papers for the General Election, including
the number of ballot papers ordered, the cost of the ballot papers, the
companies selected to complete the contracts and the systems put in place
to guarantee the security of the printing and delivery process.”

“We believe that if full transparency is not followed with regard to the
ballot paper contracts, it is capable of tarnishing the legitimacy of the
electoral process itself. Transparency is also necessary to enhance the
credibility of INEC and citizens’ trust and full participation and
engagement with the electoral process,” the groups also stated.

The groups therefore requested Professor Jega to use his “good offices and
leadership to urgently and widely publish the contracts that INEC entered
into for the ballot papers with a full break down of costs and the number
of ballot papers ordered, and the companies that will print the papers.”

“At the very least, INEC should put in the public domain the cost of the
contracts, the number of ballot papers specified in the contract, and the
companies with which contracts have been entered into. We would also be
grateful for clarifications on the process for the bidding for the
contracts,” the groups added.