A committee in the Federal Ministry of works and Housing in Abuja has called for the immediate sack of one Civil Servant, Richard Oghenerhoro for exposing fake employment in the ministry alleging that it is against his work ethics.
The committee headed by a senior official of the ministry, Rufus-Ebegba Immaculata submitted its report to the office of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
According to the committee, the whistleblower was found guilty of misconduct, breach of oath of secrecy, unauthorised disclosure of official information and copying of official documents, contrary to the provisions of the Public Service Rules.
Following its investigation, the committee recommended the immediate termination of appointment or forced retirement of the whistleblower for the offences.
Meanwhile, four other officials in the ministry are to re-deployed over documentation and enrolment of the officers uncovered by Oghenerhoro into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System platform.
Truthlive.net gathered that the committee was constituted after the ministry received a petition by Mr. Oghenerhoro.
In his petition dated July 22, 2020, Oghenerhoro accused the ministry of admitting some civil servants with fake appointment letters.
The committee’s report revealed that one of the civil servants who had a fake employment letter said, “His uncle got the job for him and had no idea about the status of his letter adding that he has been receiving salary since January, 2020.”
While the committee noted that the officials with the fake employment letters should be sanctioned, it however noted that the four officials who documented the fake civil servants would be redeployed from the ministry for failing to do their work with due diligence.
Part of the report reads: “The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing should immediately stop further payment of salary to the officers with alleged fake letters of appointment and their names forwarded to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission for further Investigation.
“The Department of Human Resource Management should be directed to ensure that the names of the officers with alleged fake letters of appointment are immediately delisted from the nominal roll, stopped from performing any official duty and their relevant departments duly notified.
“The Deputy Director (Appointment, Promotion and Discipline) be charged with the responsibility of authenticating letters of appointment from the Federal Civil Service Commission.
“The Department of Human Resource Management should be directed to issue preliminary letters to the following officers mentioned in the petition and also redeploy them: Mr Usman Muktar – Principal Executive Officer I (IPPIS) SGL.12; Mr John Omini – Senior Administrative Officer (Appt.) SGL.10; Mr Richard Dokitri – Senior Administrative Officer (Nominal Roll) SGL. 10; and Mrs Eunice Chiobi – Senior Executive Officer (IPPIS) SGL. 09.
“The committee also recommended disciplinary action against the petitioner, Mr Richard Oghenerhoro, over his misconduct, breach of oath of secrecy, unauthorised disclosure of official information and abstraction or copying of official documents without approval as enshrined in Public Service Rules 030301 (f), 030415, 030416 and 030417 respectively.”
The action of the committee is claimed to be based on the provisions of the Public Service Rule 030301(f) which says thatcivil servants who are found guilty of misconducts under the section can have their appointments terminated or be forced to retire.