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How syndicates, Okada rider forged government appointment letters for ghost workers Niger state
The Civil Service Veryfication Committee has uncovered some syndicates that are into issuing forged appointment letters to unsuspected applicants.
The syndicates were discovered by the chairman of the committee Engr. Mohammed Ibrahim Panti at the ongoing screening exercise in Minna to ascertain the genuine workers on the payroll of the Niger State Goverment.
The screening exercise which commenced over one year ago, was said to have discovered monumental fraudulent activity being perpetrated by some top civil servants in the state.
Already, the committee had fished out a staff of the Niger State Ministry of health and hospital service who issued out a forged appointment letter to his younger brother since 2009 and now on grade level 13 and had sofar received over N 5 million from the payroll of Niger State goverment.
The Chairman of the Screening Committee had already handed the civil servant Mohammed Ndanusa, to the men of the Special Investigation Bureau (SIB), of the Niger State Police Command for descreet investigations.
CAPITAL POST reliably gathered that some times in the month of April, 2009, Mohammed Ndanusa forged appointment letter of grade level 04 staff of the Ministry of health bearing the name of one Abubakar Aliyu who is now on the run, to level 13 which enable Mohammed to fraudulently embezzled the sum of N 5 million in cash.
It was further gathered that his arrest was effected when the same syndicate forged credentials and conspired with his younger brother, Tanimu Ndanusa, to appear for the screening exercise to claim the forged appointment letter.
On his appearance for the screening exercise, the said Tanimu who is a commercial motorcycle operator, (Okada rider), was confronted with some questions, he could neither communicate in English nor write.
At this point, it was discovered that his elder brother Mohammed Ndanusa, forged both the appointment letter and the credential for him without his younger brother knowing.
During further interrogation by the screening committee, he opened up and admmited that he belong to some group of cabals who are into the falsification of some vital documents within some ministry and parastatals in Niger State, to defraud the state government of substantial amount of money running into millions of Naira.
The Chairman of the Screening Committee who is also the State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructural Development, Engr. Mohammed Ibrahim Panti without further delay invited the police for his arrest.
Already, he is currently assisting the operatives of the under cover police of the Niger State Police Command to uncover and also identify his group of syndicates that were into the fraudulent activities of defrauding the state of its funds and subjecting the suffering workers in the service of Niger State civil service to untold penuries.
The Chairman of the screening committee had some times in June raised the alarm that his committee had discovered a total of 11,000 ghost workers on the payroll of the Niger State and a huge amount of N 79 Million Naira was recovered.
The alarm raised by the committee chairman incurred the wrath of the Organised Labour in which the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in the Comrade Yakubu Garba challenged the chairman of the committee to publish the names of the identified ghost workers or the Organised Labour will call on its members to boycott the screening exercise and embarked on industrial action within 14 days.
The ongoing screening exercise of workers in the service of Niger State is the fourth since the inception of the Abubakar Sani Bello led administration within the last five years of his administration without bringing any of the culprit to face the full wrath of the law.
The Niger State House of Assembly had in the plenary on Tuesday, requested for the reports of the previous screening exercises been conducted by the administration within the last five years of this administration.
Meanwhile, the police had commenced full scale investigations to uncovered other syndicates that were said to have been in the Ministries and parastatals that defrauding the state in million of Naira.
The police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) in the state Abiodun Wasiu ASP, could not be reached for comment as he was said to be on another official assignment at the Police officer’s Mess in Minna.
However, a senior police officer, who craved anonymity told our reporter that “Yes the suspect is with us here. We have already obtained court order to enable us to investigate him and his other gang that are into the same fraudulent activity with him.
“Infact, we write to the ministry of health to furnish us with some documents that will help us in our investigations.
“Some his gang are on the run while his younger brother was said to have been on admission in the hospital. After our investigations we will then charge him to court for Prosecution.”
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it has been vindicated by recent revelations from the state’s former Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke.
The Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, stated this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists on Wednesday.
The former Head of Service, who recently resigned had alleged that the suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was directly responsible for the political crisis in the state and the bombing of the State House of Assembly.
In response, the Rivers State APC asserted that Nwaeke’s testimony aligns with the party’s long-held position, as frequently stated by Chief Okocha, that the suspended governor was the architect of the state’s political crisis, including masterminding the October 29, 2023, bombing of the State House of Assembly.
Chief Okocha further emphasized that Nwaeke’s account, given his high-ranking position in the state, cannot be dismissed as mere speculation.
He said attempts to discredit the former Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the alleged corruption and misconduct that the APC has repeatedly highlighted.
“What is most interesting to the APC in Rivers State as a responsible political party is that Dr. George Nwaeke’s revelations and testimonies of how suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his squad bombed the Rivers State House of Assembly is an eye witness account.
“Again , it has clearly vindicated the APC in Rivers State as the only visible and viable opposition political party in the State, and has cemented the love for the party in the heart of well meaning Rivers people as the voice of the voiceless, and the hope for a better Rivers State.
“The revelations made by the former Head of Service in Rivers State has further positioned her as a political party with high level of integrity, and the hope of Rivers people for a viable alternative to produce the Governor of Rivers State in 2027.
“The verbal attacks staged against the resigned Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the corruption within Sim Fubara’s administration, which we have consistently highlighted as the opposition party. On this matter, the APC shall function as watchdogs”, the party stated.
Chief Tony Okocha expressed confidence that security agencies would thoroughly investigate the matter.
“The APC in Rivers State strongly believes that the relevant security agencies will be professional enough to get to the root of the matter and make their findings public”, he said.
A coalition of civil rights organizations, the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness (CCLCA), has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the allegations leveled against suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, by Dr. George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service of the state.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Dr. Gabriel Nwambu, Director General of the CCLCA, urged the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Department of State Services (DSS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take swift action in probing the allegations. He emphasized that if proven true, these claims pose serious risks to governance and democracy.
The coalition, comprising 30 civil society organizations, stands in solidarity with Dr. Nwaeke, who has expressed willingness to provide evidence of alleged corruption and constitutional breaches involving Governor Fubara and his Chief of Staff, Mr. Edison.
“We collectively urge the relevant authorities to act swiftly and transparently. Addressing these allegations is critical to restoring public confidence in governance at both the state and national levels,” Dr. Nwambu stated.
He commended President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for his intervention in Rivers State, which led to the declaration of a state of emergency, a move he described as crucial for stabilizing the region.
Dr. Nwaeke’s accusations against Governor Fubara include:
Arson and Sabotage: Allegedly instructing his Chief of Staff to burn down the Rivers State House of Assembly to prevent impeachment proceedings, a violation of Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
Corruption and Financial Misconduct: Claims of large sums of money being used for personal and illegal activities, contravening Section 15(5) of the Constitution.
Threats to Public Safety: Alleged plans to sabotage state infrastructure, potentially inciting public disorder, which falls under Section 1 of the Terrorism Prevention Act (2011).
Collusion with Militant Groups: Alleged meetings between the governor, his Chief of Staff, and militant leaders, posing a threat to national security and violating Section 43 of the Constitution.
Suppression of Labour Rights: Alleged attempts to bribe labour leaders to silence dissent, contravening Section 40 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly.
The coalition has urged law enforcement agencies to ensure a thorough, transparent, and expedited investigation into these allegations.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has appointed Sam Ifeanyi Hart, Esq. as his new Chief of Staff (CoS).
Hart replaces Hon. Toby Okechukwu who was recently appointed Executive Director, Projects of the newly established South East Development Commission (SEDC).
Prior to his appointment, Hart served as Special Adviser to the Deputy Speaker on Public Affairs and has an extensive background in training and consultancy.
Hart also previously served as Director-General, Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency from 2019 to 2023 after occupying other appointive positions.
He was also a member of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), Kuru where he attended the Senior Executive Course 45, serving as Course Secretary-General.
He has also served on the Boards of several corporate and non-governmental entities.
Hart brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new role, with a distinguished career spanning law, leadership, and public service.
A lifelong learner, he holds multiple academic qualifications, including a Master’s Degree in Environmental Law (LLM) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) from Abia State University.
The new Chief of Staff is also currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Law.
A seasoned professional, Hart has attended prestigious institutions, including the GOTNI Leadership Centre, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS), and the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG).
He is also a member of several professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria (M.IoD), Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (ACIArb), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
As Chief of Staff, Hart will provide strategic guidance and support to the Deputy Speaker legislative activities, leveraging his expertise to drive policy initiatives and promote good governance.
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