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Employment scam: Reps set to probe State House, MDAs over falsification of credentials, others
****Summon Chairman, Civil Service Commission, Head of Service of the Federation
John Akubo
Some serving Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Assistant Directors in the State House and other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government have been alleged to have falsified their age, date of birth, and other vital credentials such as West African Examination Council (WAEC) and Tertiary Institutions results.
In line with that, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has invited the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission, and Head of Service for the Federation to appear before it.
The invitations were sent by the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Jerry Alagbaso via two separate letters titled: ‘Request for names and personnel records’, with Reference No: NASS/9HR/CT.5 and dated 29th March 2022.
The invitation reads: “The above Committee is investigating a petition laid on the floor of our Chambers on 29th March 2022 regarding the falsifications and doctoring of ages, dates of Births, and vital credentials of some Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Directors of MDAs and Parastatals as well as unauthorized extensions of service ensures by the Federal Civil Service Commission and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation between 2015 – 2022.
“It is against the above background that we established the need to reach your office. Thus, we wish to request that you furnish the House of Representatives, Committee on Public Petitions within five (5) days with the names of all the Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Directors in all the Federal Ministries, Agencies, and Parastatals and of course their present postings and those (if any) on the extension of tenures.
You are to submit five (5) copies of the above requests to the House of Representatives meeting Room 429, New Wing OR office No. 0.42 ground floor.”
The proposed investigative hearing was coming following the petition dated 11th March 2021 initiated by a Civil Society Organisation, Anti Corruption, and Integrity Forum addressed to the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and read on the floor of the House.
The 3-page petition was co-signed by Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum’s President and Secretary, Dickson Sola Williams, and Victoria Abam.
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The Petitioners who solicited the House intervention called for an investigation into the aforementioned allegations, including the unauthorized extension of service tenures by the Federal Civil Service Commission and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation between 2015 and 2022.
“The Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum is an organization formed to advocate for transparency and accountability as well as protect the interest of Nigerians with regards to governance and government and associated issues.
“That considering the various efforts of government at combating corruption and other vices in Nigeria, we are determined to assist the government to realize her objectives in that regard by holing government officers as well as heads of private organizations accountable for their actions in and out of office. And for us, there is no hiding place or place for any officer who betrayed the public trust.
“In the light of all these, we wish to ask the House of Representatives through her Committee on Public Petitions to investigate the various allegations of irregularities and illegalities being perpetrated by Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Assistant Directors in the Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Parastatals and supervised by Federal Civil Service Commission and Head of Civil Service of the Federation between 2015 – 2022.
“We the petitioners through an intelligence gathering and research have discovered falsification and doctoring of documents by some Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Assistant Directors in the various Ministries like Ministries of Agric, Sports, Head of Service office manned by I. A. Mairiga, Public Service Commission – especially the office of recruitment and appointment manned by Ibrahim Anjuga, State House Asokoro, Ministries of Power, Environment, Special Duties, Labour and Productivity and some Agencies and Parastatals.
“That surprisingly the above irregularities are being superintended knowingly or unknowingly by the Federal Civil Service Commission (Recruitment and Appointment Section).
“Therefore, Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Public Petitions must unravel these irregularities by requesting the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service and the Head of Service to produce a comprehensive list of the Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Assistant Directors in the above Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Parastatals for scrutiny and investigation.
“Mr. Speaker, those who enjoying extensions of contract or contract appointments either as Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Assistant Directors from 2015 – 2022/23 in various areas said to be ‘in the public interest’ are to be submitted to the Public Petitions Committee for proper verifications and investigation in a public hearing where we intend to produce relevant names and documents.
“Mr. Speaker, there are various outcries today among some serving senior officials of the different ministries, departments, agencies, and parastatals where there are snail-speed promotions and upward mobilities because some Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Assistant Directors refused to retire statutorily on attainments of 60 years or after serving for 35 years. Rather they stay put through falsification and doctoring of their credentials or year of employment thereby preventing others from upward service mobility.
“Mr. Speaker, for the public interest, we request a televised public investigation of most of the Permanent Secretaries and Directors cum their Assistants where their Secondary School or Teachers Training Schools Certificates will be produced and scrutinized – by marrying them with their various University Degrees.
“Considering the zero corruption dispositions of president Buhari and House of Representatives under the able leadership of Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, we hereby call on the House of Representatives through her Committee on Public Petitions to look into these allegations and painstakingly investigate them to ensure that all those found culpable to any of the above irregularities are referred to the relevant authorities for prosecution and imprisonment for their criminal activities in the service of our nation,” the Petitioner urged,” the petition read.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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