The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has invited the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission and Head of Service of the Federation over allegations bordering on falsification of age, date of birth and other vital credentials of some permanent secretaries, directors and assistant directors in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

The invitations were sent by the committee’s Chairman, Hon. Jerry Alagbaso via two separate letters titled: ‘Request for names and personnel records’, with Reference No: NASS/9HR/CT.5 and dated 29th March, 2022.

The invitation reads: “The above committee is investigating a petition laid on the floor of our chambers on 29th March, 2022 regarding the falsifications and doctoring of ages, dates of births and vital credentials of some permanent secretaries, directors and deputy directors of MDAs and parastatals as well as unauthorised extensions of service tenure by the Federal Civil Service Commission and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation between 2015 – 2022.

“It is against the above background that we established the need to reach your office. Thus, we wish to request that you furnish the House of Representatives, committee on public petitions within five (5) days with the names of all the permanent secretaries, directors and deputy directors in all the Federal Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals and of course their present postings and those (if any) on extension of tenures. You are to submit five (5) copies of the above requests to the House of Representatives meeting Room 429, New Wing OR office No. 0.42 ground floor.”

The proposed investigative hearing was sequel to the petition dated March 11, 2021 initiated by a Civil Society Organisation, Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum via petition addressed to the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and read on the floor of the House.

The three-page petition was co-signed by Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum’s President and Secretary, Dickson Sola Williams and Victoria Abam.

The petitioners, who solicited for the House’s intervention, called for investigation into the aforementioned allegations, including unauthorized extension of service tenures by the Federal Civil Service Commission and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation between 2015 and 2022.

“The Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum is an organisation formed to advocate for transparency and accountability as well as protect the interest of Nigerians with regards to governance and government and associated issues.

“In the light of all these, we wish to ask the House of Representatives through her Committee on Public Petitions to investigate the various allegations of irregularities and illegalities being perpetuated by Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Assistant Directors in the Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Parastatals and supervised by Federal Civil Service Commission and Head of Civil Service of the Federation between 2015 – 2022.

“Therefore, Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Public Petitions must unravel these irregularities by requesting the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service and the Head of Service to produce a comprehensive list of the Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Assistant Directors in the above Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Parastatals for scrutiny and investigation,” the letter said. (Courtesy, excluding headline, New Telegraph)

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