The Federal Government has issued a warning against unauthorized disclosure or leakage of official documents, emphasising that such actions can negatively impact the country and are punishable offenses.
George Akume, the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), delivered this message on Tuesday during a workshop in Abuja organised by the Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in collaboration with the Office of the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The workshop was 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.’’
Akume, who was represented by Nnamdi Mbaeri, the permanent secretary in the Office of the SGF, emphasised that unauthorized leakage of sensitive official documents constitutes a felony, with no defense available under either the Constitution or the Freedom of Information Act.
He cited Section 97 (2) of the Criminal Code Act of Nigeria, which states that any person employed in the public service who abstracts or copies any document without proper authority is guilty of a misdemeanor and liable to imprisonment for one year.
The government previously implemented measures to curb the leakage of sensitive official information within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
“This was reinforced by the issuance of another service-wide circular in February 2024 on the unauthorised circulation of official documents with information on social media.
“This was done to re-emphasise other extant regulations prohibiting unauthorised disclosure or leakage of official documents,” he said.
Akume also highlighted the need to regulate civil society organisations that misuse the Freedom of Information Act to disseminate fake and unfounded information, harassing and intimidating public officers. He called for collective efforts from communication practitioners to address this issue.
“There is the need to regulate the activities of the civil society organisations who use the Freedom of Information Act to harass, intimidate and siphon resources from public officers through the dissemination of fake and unfounded information
“This should be properly addressed by all the practitioners in the communication and related industries,’’ he said.
Dasuki Arabi, director-general of the BPSR, urged communication managers in MDAs to equip themselves with the Official Secrets Act.
He emphasised their crucial role in an increasingly complex information ecosystem, where accurate and prompt information delivery is essential.
Arabi encouraged the use of traditional and social media platforms to ensure the public is well informed about government initiatives, programs, and services.
