Delta Assembly Speaker, Victor Ochei
Several staff of the Delta State House Assembly confirmed a crisis is brewing following allegations of a massive cover up involving forged school certificates.
During June and August 2013, Assembly workers' credentials were screened by the Delta State Service Commission leading to the discovery of over 20 staff working with forged school and university certificates, and others with no certificate at all. Plus over 30 workers were discovered, including some directors, with forged certificates.
Assembly staff said "those first 20 were sacked. But during the second screening exercise those over thirty workers including some directors, that issue has been swept under the carpet by the leadership of the House in connivance with the house of Assembly service commission."
An Assembly source, who requested anonymity, said the names of the directors are Mr. H.N. Okolie, Director for Planning and Mrs. Theresa Uchema, Director, Account/Supply/Purchase.
"Even in the face of the criminal act perpetrated by the these directors and several staff, the Service Commission allegedly working under the instructions of the leadership of the house went ahead and removed the names of the affected directors pasted on the notice board some time ago."
“Some of my colleagues who forged certificates also used friends and relations certificates to gain the employment and it was during the verification exercise of credentials that the startling forgeries were uncovered. The case of the Directors was the most shameful one, a situation where a director could not provide, show convincingly or defend his certificates and only to be discovered that it was a friend or relation’s certificates, it’s shameful you know. "
“Some of my colleagues who forged certificates also used friends and relations certificates to gain the employment and it was during the verification exercise of credentials that the startling forgeries were uncovered. The case of the Directors was the most shameful one, a situation where a director could not provide, show convincingly or defend his certificates and only to be discovered that it was a friend or relation’s certificates, it’s shameful you know. "
Another source confirm that through the intervention of the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, one of the affected directors was spared which also brought luck to all the affected workers in the second batch of the discovering of alleged fraud.
Calls and text messages to the Chairman of House of Assembly Service Commission, Mrs. Ada Kavhikwu, were not returned.
The House Speaker, Mr. Victor Ochei, denied all the allegations to Sahara Reporters, saying the issue has never been brought to the knowledge of the leadership of the house, the the issue is under the purview of the House Service Commission which he described as autonomous.
Also reacting to the issue, House Committee Chairman on Information, and member representing Isoko South constituency 11, Mr. Johnson Erijo, debunked the allegation that the house leadership had swept the matter under the carpet saying that the issue has not be brought to the knowledge of the house leadership.
“Let me be honest with you, the commission that is responsible for recruitment employment, training of staff, promotion and discipline is the House of Assembly commission, and like the civil service commission or the local government service commission is highly highly autonomous, independent from the house. They were the ones that carried out that verification exercise and all that. "
He added “I know very well that they copied the House and all their activities are highly independent of the House, that I can assure you, so you can get a full story from them if there is anything. I am just hearing this now and I do know that there is action they are taking to wind away those people who forged certificates. I can assure you that the issue of sweeping the matter under the carpet is just come to my notice.”
Also reacting to the issue, House Committee Chairman on Information, and member representing Isoko South constituency 11, Mr. Johnson Erijo, debunked the allegation that the house leadership had swept the matter under the carpet saying that the issue has not be brought to the knowledge of the house leadership.
“Let me be honest with you, the commission that is responsible for recruitment employment, training of staff, promotion and discipline is the House of Assembly commission, and like the civil service commission or the local government service commission is highly highly autonomous, independent from the house. They were the ones that carried out that verification exercise and all that. "
He added “I know very well that they copied the House and all their activities are highly independent of the House, that I can assure you, so you can get a full story from them if there is anything. I am just hearing this now and I do know that there is action they are taking to wind away those people who forged certificates. I can assure you that the issue of sweeping the matter under the carpet is just come to my notice.”
A senior staffer said, “As I talk to you, we workers are planning a showdown with the leadership of the House and the Service Commission. Why are they covering up the second batch of workers when the first batch sacked?”
A member of the service commission who pleaded for anonymity confirmed that the issue is generating serious controversy among the workers and that anyone saying the commission is autonomous is misleading the generality of the people.
It would be recalled that the speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei told a gathering of reporters in 2011 that following the reform agenda of the fifth Assembly, the House via biometric detection, detected over 200 ghost workers.
A member of the service commission who pleaded for anonymity confirmed that the issue is generating serious controversy among the workers and that anyone saying the commission is autonomous is misleading the generality of the people.
It would be recalled that the speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei told a gathering of reporters in 2011 that following the reform agenda of the fifth Assembly, the House via biometric detection, detected over 200 ghost workers.
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