Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Government has uncovered over seven hundred suspected fake appointment letters in state civil service.
According to investigations top government officials in the Due Process office, the Civil Service Commission and State Treasury have been fingered as part of a syndicate involved in employment racketeering.
This was the findings of the on Committee on Verification of Appointment Letters inaugurated by the Bayelsa State Civil Service Commission following a sharp increase in the monthly wage bill of the Civil Service.
Governor Douye Diri was said to have given his nod to the probe by the committee headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Mightyman Aye Dikuro, after it was discovered that a group of people took advantage of the transition in February to pad the monthly wage bill with back door employments.
Further investigation revealed that the police have arrested some of those involved and they have in turn offered useful information about the ringleaders.
The Chairman of the Bayelsa State Civil Service Commission, Dr Peter Singabele, confirmed the discovery of fake employments while receiving the report of the committee.
Dr Singabele disclosed that the syndicate operated with officials at the Civil Service Commission and the State Treasury.
According to him, the syndicate were suspected to have collected money from unsuspecting applicants to facilitate their employment into the civil service, stating that fake letters of appointments were issued to them with which they allegedly enrolled as civil servants, thereby increasing the wage bill of the government.
Dr Singabele said the syndicate believed to be in government circles were suspected to have fraudulently facilitated appointments into the state’s civil service using a fake letterhead and signature from the Governor.
He noted that disciplinary action would be taken after studying the recommendations of the committee in line with the civil service rules of Nigeria.
Dr Singabele assured all genuine civil servants not to panic over fake stories making the rounds on social media that Governor Douye Diri was planning to sack Bayelsans employed by the previous administration, insisting that there are no plans to sack any genuine worker.