According to the government, the aim of the policy is to increase the exposure of financial crimes; support the fight against financial crimes and corruption; improve the level of public confidence in public entities and enhance transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.
A Nigerian Government Panel has recommended that disciplinary action with the option of dismissal should be taken against one Richard Oghenerhoro, a civil servant for exposing to the public fake employment in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in Abuja.
Ironically, President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) rode to power on the mantra to fight official corruption in the system.
In February 2017, the Nigerian government launched a whistle-blowing policy to encourage Nigerians, including public office holders and civil servants to expose corrupt practices as a way of making the anti-corruption fight a general one.
According to the government, the aim of the policy is to increase the exposure of financial crimes; support the fight against financial crimes and corruption; improve the level of public confidence in public entities and enhance transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.
Since the launch of the policy, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has made some discoveries of stacks of local and foreign currencies stashed away in the most unimaginable places.
Contrary to this Policy, the panel found Mr Oghenerhoro 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, The PUNCH reports.
Public Service Rules (PSR) 030301(f) notes that civil servants who are found guilty of misconduct under the section can have their appointments terminated or be forced to retire.
The PUNCH reports that four other officials in the ministry were also recommended for re-deployment for documenting and enrolling the officers uncovered by Oghenerhoro into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System platform.
A senior official of the ministry, Rufus-Ebegba Immaculata, who headed the investigative panel, the paper reported has submitted its report to the office of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.
The committee was constituted following the receipt of Oghenerhoro’s petition dated July 22, 2020.
Oghenerhoro had alleged in his petition that some civil servants joined the ministry with fake appointment letters.
In the report, the committee noted that one of the civil servants with the fake employment letter noted that “His uncle got the job for him and had no idea about the status of his letter; he also informed the committee 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.
The report read in part, “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.”