The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, S. mni, has expressed concern at how official Government information and Documents are leaked to the general public and social media platforms.
The Permanent Secretary remarked at a one-day sensitization lecture organized by the Ministry in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for staff of the Ministry working under the offices of the Honourable Coordinating Minister and Honourable Minister of State respectively, held recently at the Auditorium of Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja.
Represented by her Special Assistant, Mrs. Jummai Abdullahi, the Permanent Secretary said that the aim of the sensitization lecture and the Oath of Secrecy/Declaration is to bring awareness, promote and uphold the culture of confidentiality in holding Government information and documents.
The Permanent Secretary emphasized that leaking official information and Government documents constitutes great embarrassment to the government, warning that any unauthorized disclosure of official information and documents would attract full sanctions in accordance with the extant rules and regulations.
“After the lecture and the Oath taking, you would now be under obligation to maintain confidentiality in the handling of all official information and documents,” she reiterated.
The Permanent Secretary urged the participants to pay serious attention to the lecture as it has been worked out to equip them in discharging their responsibilities.
In his speech, the Director, Human Resource Management Department, Hassan Sallau, disclosed that the training was informed to re-enlighten the staff on the dangers of disclosing unauthorized Government information and Documents as the act causes serious embarrassment to the government, describing it as gross misconduct which leads to dismissal as prescribed in the public service rules.
He further stated that the Idea is “to avoid being ignorant of the law, hence the need for the staff to have the knowledge and take the Oath to avoid any complaints whenever an officer disobeys or breaks the oath taken, hoping that such should not happen to anyone.
Hassan expressed delight at the presentation and hoped that the knowledge would be applied in conducting official duties as henceforth, unauthorized disclosure of official information and Government documents would not be accepted and officers would be punished accordingly.
The participants signed the Oath of Secrecy and Declaration after being administered by the legal officer, Legal Department of the Ministry.
Ado Bako
Assistant Director (Press)
