The recent inquiry launched into allegations of fraudulent employment practices within the civil service, amidst a hiring freeze imposed by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, has unveiled additional issues within the country’s troubled government ministries, departments, and agencies. This exposé has highlighted various concerns, as outlined by DEBORAH TOLU-KOLAWOLE.
During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in May 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari enacted a halt on recruitment across Federal Government ministries, departments, and agencies. A memorandum from the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation attributed this recruitment suspension to the pandemic’s impact on the government’s revenue forecasts. The memo did specify that exceptions would be made to replace deceased or retired personnel.
Earlier, in 2017, Buhari had previously implemented a similar prohibition on new hires in the public sector, citing the need to control the escalating personnel expenditure projected to reach 12 percent in 2018.
To enhance the oversight of this employment ban, the Federal Government mandated that all civil servants must be registered in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Folashade Yemi-Esan, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, recently highlighted the IPPIS’s influence, noting its contribution to detecting civil servants possessing counterfeit employment letters. During the 2023 civil service week media briefing, Yemi-Esan acknowledged that the IPPIS had been instrumental in unveiling civil servants receiving inflated salaries.
“Prior to implementing the current mechanisms designed to support the IPPIS implementation, the system suffered from significant leaks, wastage, and the persistent inclusion of fictitious workers,” she affirmed.
However, despite reforms, employment freezes, and the introduction of measures and employment exceptions, The Findwhosabi has reported that ghost workers and illicit job dealings continue to persist within the civil service.
Haruna Kolo, a former aide to the Chairperson of the Federal Character Commission, Muheeba Dankaka, recently confessed to selling federal employment positions to job seekers under the directives of his former superior.
Kolo revealed this during his testimony before a House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating employment racketeering within ministries, departments, and agencies.
According to Kolo’s testimony, Dankaka orchestrated a job racketeering scheme, soliciting money from job seekers and insisting on cash payments to avoid creating digital trails.
Kolo stated, “Regarding the allegations of job racketeering, the FCC Chairman instructed me to collaborate with Mr. Shehu, the personal driver and PA to the Taraba State commissioner. As a desk officer, my responsibility is to facilitate the inclusion of new employees into the IPPIS. No one gains entry without a letter from the chairman or the FCC’s Human Resource officer.”
He continued, “Whenever new employment arose, she would sign the letter, give it to me, and I would take it to the Accountant General’s office for processing. Shehu would bring those who had paid for the job to my account—some paid N1 million, others N1.5 million. She instructed me to provide cash to her, which I did through a point-of-sale (POS) device, leaving no trace of transfer.”
Kolo explained that he and three others were rewarded with positions at the Asset Management Company of Nigeria for their involvement. One of the beneficiaries is related to Mrs. Dankaka.
At present, Dankaka faces allegations of corruption, favoritism, and arrogance in her conduct at the commission, with most claims coming from fellow commissioners.
Earlier, some commissioners accused Dankaka of demanding a share of job slots from government agencies. However, she refuted the allegations, attributing them to “corruption fighting back.”
Dankaka defended herself, stating, “I had already made a name and money before coming here. Let me share a story. Some of them (commissioners) have their motives for attacking me. When I first arrived, many of them were close to me. They frequently visited my office, but I declined their requests.”
She went on, “I’m a reserved person who preserves certain executive chairman secrets. I’ve tolerated certain things and left them to God’s judgment. Before my tenure, job slots were being sold. The place was like a marketplace. People living in Abuja can confirm this.”
Dankaka claimed that her efforts to curb the sale of job slots upon assuming office led to resentment from some commissioners.
She elaborated, “Before my arrival, they used to sell slots. It was like a market. You can verify this from people living in Abuja. Upon my arrival, I met with the commissioners and informed them I wouldn’t engage in any activity that could tarnish my reputation and family.”
Dankaka alleged that one commissioner attempted to pay for a property using job slots, but she thwarted the plan.
Meanwhile, Yusuf Gagdi, the Chairman of the House Investigative panel, stated that no agency had yet been implicated.
“As of now, this committee hasn’t found the registrar of JAMB or any institution guilty. Such statements can only be made after we submit our report,” Gagdi emphasized.
Chairman Gagdi extended invitations to over 40 ministries, departments, and agencies in light of Kolo’s admissions. Regrettably, only four organizations complied.
“Many of these agencies aren’t showing due respect to constituted authority. We were expecting 40 agencies, but only four are present,” Gagdi lamented regarding the poor attendance at the August 9, 2023 investigative hearing.
Gagdi proceeded to spotlight the lopsided employment practices in some MDAs, highlighting the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in particular.
He confronted JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, about the hiring of over 300 staff members without publicly advertising the job vacancies. Gagdi demanded that the agency promptly furnish the committee with the list of individuals employed from 2015 to 2023.
Gagdi also accused JAMB of skirting proper recruitment processes, bypassing steps such as shortlisting and interviews, and relying heavily on waivers for staffing, contrary to the law’s provisions that restrict engaging more than 100 staff members annually without following due process.
Moreover, Gagdi criticized the recruitment of nearly 300 personnel through waivers as a violation of the federal character principle. He explained that waivers should be granted only under dire circumstances, when an agency is at risk of collapse.
“Why assume that advertising wouldn’t have been a better approach? Your capacity to screen applicants for better-suited candidates is evident. I’m asking this because our main goal is to rectify the fraudulent use of waivers,” Gagdi asserted.
Oloyede defended the use of waivers by stating, “We employed the waiver because we believed the situation warranted it due to the nature of our work. If we were to advertise for the 300 positions, we wouldn’t have been able to meet the requirements in a timely manner.”
He added, “I am firmly convinced that this was necessary at that point, and I assure you that we didn’t shortchange qualified individuals.”
In 2022, The Findwhosabi reported an incident involving a whistleblower at a Federal Government ministry who faced potential dismissal after exposing employment fraud within the ministry. Additionally, in the same year, there were multiple complaints to the Senate from frustrated job seekers, alleging that despite receiving employment letters, the Niger Delta Development Commission’s management prevented them from completing necessary documentation. One petitioner, signed by a former deputy governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, claimed that