Leadership (Abuja)
Iyobosa Uwugiaren
24 September 2008
Political aides to both President Umaru Yar'Adua and Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday took oath of secrecy and declaration of secrecy, more than a year after some of them assumed office.
The oath and declaration, according to the Permanent Secretary, State House, Dr. Baba Kaigama, was at the instance of the President.
Kaigama also said that civil servants in the State House had already taken the oath.
Among those who took the oath were the Principal Secretary to the President, Mr. David Edevbie, Principal Secretary to the Vice-President, Chief Mike Oghiadome, and Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Dr Tanimu Yakubu.
The Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the President, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, also took the oath.
Chief Physician to the President, Dr Salisu Banye, and the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the Vice-President, Mr Ima Niboro, also took the oath.
In his brief remarks after the oath-taking, Hon. Justice Husseini Baba of the Abuja High Court urged those who took it to respect the solemn promises they made before God, as they discharged the tasks before them.
By the oath, it is now a criminal offence for the aides to disclose any official information without lawful authority.
By the Official Secrets Act, it is an offence for any public official to disclose information, which the government considered "damaging to the national interest."
The Act, which Nigeria inherited from the British colonialist, came into force in United Kingdom in 1911.
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