The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to civil servants about the severe consequences of leaking official documents.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, emphasized this during a workshop held in Abuja on Tuesday. The event was organized by the Bureau for Public Service Reforms in collaboration with the Office of the Government of the Federation.
The workshop, themed “Renewing Hope and Strengthening of National Unity through Effective Communication and the Role of the Official Secret Acts in Maintaining Confidentiality and National Security,” aimed to underscore the importance of confidentiality in government operations. Dr. Nnamdi Mbaeri, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the SGF, represented Akume at the workshop.
Akume warned that the unauthorized release of sensitive government documents is a serious crime. He stressed that there is no legal justification for such actions, not even under the Constitution or the Freedom of Information Act. According to Section 97 (2) of the Criminal Code Act of Nigeria, any public servant who improperly shares or copies an official document without authorization faces a misdemeanor charge and up to one year in prison.
Akume also noted that the government has previously taken steps to prevent the leak of sensitive information within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). This includes service-wide circulars issued by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation in August 2021 and February 2024, specifically addressing the unauthorized sharing of official documents on social media.
“There is the need to regulate the activities of the civil society organizations who use the Freedom of Information Act to harass, intimidate and siphon resources from public officers through the dissemination of fake and unfounded information,” Akume stated.
He commended the Bureau for Public Service Reforms for organizing the workshop, highlighting the government’s commitment to ensuring the dissemination of accurate and truthful information. Dr. Dasuki Arabi, the Director-General of the Bureau, urged participants to familiarize themselves with the Official Secrets Act and improve their communication of government policies and programs to the public.
“Accurate and prompt information delivery is essential and cannot be compromised as its impact on service delivery and governance is profound,” he noted.