Outgoing Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega has revealed that he appointed vice-chancellors of university as returning officers for the 2015 general elections because they were people with track record of credibility.
Jega disclosed this while exchanging views with newsmen at a dinner organized in his honour by the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, AVCNU, in Abuja yesterday night.
According to him, “We were looking for people with integrity; and we have no doubt that there are many people with integrity in the Nigerian university system.
“So, it is like a ready-made constituency to get the kind of people we needed for the job to be done.
“That is not to say that only in the universities can you find people of integrity. We know that anybody who has risen in the system to become a vice-chancellor will not for anything damage his or her reputation by pandering to the wishes of politicians.”
The retiring INEC Chairman, who used to be the Vice-Chancellor of the Bayero University Kano, expressed appreciation for the goodwill shown to him by members of the association. This was as he pledged to continue being a good ambassador of the Nigerian university system.
He expressed delight that the vice-chancellors were pleased with the feat which they collectively achieved in the 2015 elections, stressing that all staff of INEC contributed to the success of the elections as he alone could not take the glory.
On what is next for him, Jega revealed that he would proceed on leave, after which, he would return to the university to continue with teaching, research and community service.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the association, Prof. Joseph Ajienka commended Jega for rendering service to his country creditably and with dignity.
“I thank also all he vice-chancellors that helped Jega in performing a national task that gave so much credibility to the last elections.
“It will go a long way in telling the world that vice-chancellors are capable of serving their country,” Ajienka who is the Vice-Chancellor University of Port Harcourt,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of the occasion who is the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, Prof. Vincent Tenebe observed that the 2015 elections brought Nigeria to limelight.
He added that the mode of election is being copied by many countries, including advanced ones.
