A major scandal is rocking the headquarters of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ,NSCDC. Newsdiaryonline.com has learnt that the head of the corps’ anti-corruption unit Mr Akeem Tiamiyu who doubles as an adviser to the Commandant General of the corps ,Dr. Ade Abolurin was last week caught at a hotel in Gwagwalada, a suburb of Abuja . He was “sharing” letters of employment to prospective new employees ,who were expected to pay the sum of N300,000 each to collect their letters.He had 2000 of such letters on this occasion Newsdiaryonline.com learnt.
The incident happened on the 27th of September at about 2.00Pm at Atlas Hotel in Gwagwalada where the head of the anti corruption unit of the corps was busy “trading” with 2000 appointment letters in his possession.Insiders said the arrest of the head of the supposed ant-graft chief has raised eye brows within the corps because the letters were actually signed by the commandant General Abolurin.The question now was the CG’s signature forged? Insiders claimed the signatures were real .But how did it happen?
Akeem who is of the rank of ASC 1 in the corps was said to have in concert with his aides in the racket informed some of those to be recruited to come for their letter with the sum of N300,000 each.But insiders said he ran out of luck this fateful day.
According to sources, as he was sharing out the letters at the hotel in Gwagwalada, under- cover security operatives swooped on him and caught him red- handed.The corps’ head of anti –corruption department was said to have actually started trading with the letters when he was stopped.Sources said three under- cover operatives that stopped him included two from Nigerian prisons service and one operative from the immigration service. They apprehended him and swiftly told him what he was doing was wrong and “gave him marching orders to the headquarters of civil defence corps in Abuja”, after reporting the incident.
Newsdiaryonline.com learnt that as soon as the operatives caught Akeem, they reported the matter an unnamed member of the board which controls customs, immigration and civil defence.A board member subsequently put a call to Abolurin, the commandant general of the corps who was ordered to hand over the apprehended official to ICPC for prosecution.
But the story has taken a new turn ever since the CG was told about the arrest of the head of his anti corruption unit. An insider said Abolurin persuaded the board member to allow him “do his in house investigation”.This is already being interpreted to mean an attempt to cover up the matter.Further questions are being asked because the appointment letters found on the suspects seemed duly signed by the CG.How did he get the letters which seemed duly signed by the CG? That is one of the questions insiders are asking now.
But the head of the anti corruption department was not the only one apprehended over this racket.Newsdiaryonline.com learnt that two other staff of the corps(Names withheld) were helping Akeem at Hotel.Were they just obeying their superior’s order or have they been part of the racket all along?And for how long has tis been happening?One of those caught long with him works at the training department in the headquarters .The second person caught along with him was a staff attached to the Gwagwalad division of the corps.
Attention now seems to have shifted to how the CG has been handling the investigation into the racket.Since a board member called the CG and ,he has been left with no option but to detain the head of the corps’ anti corruption unit.The CG ordered his detention as soon as he was brought to the headquarters.Akeem sources said was detained for three days and his phones were allegedly seized from while the in-house panel set up by the CG has been doing its job.But the closeness of the suspect to the CG has remained a source of sustained interest by insiders who are suspicious of “the panel set up by the CG to investigat his special adviser on fraud”.
Knowldgeable insiders are already saying that even from the steps taking by Abolurin, he has shown signs that he may not deal decisively with Akeem like he did to those who committed similar offences in the past.At least two instances are being recalled where in the past such offenders were dismissed by the corps.The cases of a chap from Nassarawa state and another official from the south east (names withheld ) are being cited where those offender dismissed are being cited.
Said a puzzled insider:The whole world is watching along with presidency and the minister of interior (Abba Morro) how Abolurin will solve this problem”
On Wednesday this week Nigerian Tribune did a story on the Money for Job scam rocking some parastatals.We have culled the story for our readers:
Money for jobs in federal agencies? •Youths petition presidency •President’s aide expresses shock
Written by Olawale Rasheed, Abuja Wednesday, 03 October 2012
THE presidency has been alerted to a growing practice of money for employment in federal para-military agencies as some youth leaders have dispatched detailed petition to President Goodluck Jonathan over the development.
The revelation was made at the national roundtable on Nigeria’s Independence celebration, attended by over 40 youth leaders in Abuja and hosted by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Student Matters, Mr Jude Imagwe, who vowed to report the matter to the president.
Various youth leaders at the event were making contributions on the way forward for the nation until the coordinator for Youth Coalition Against Corruption, Mr Greg Asali, alerted the gathering to a practice in many federal agencies, declaring that “unemployed graduates are being levied huge sums of money for job in many agencies.”
Asali told the gathering that various sums of money are collected from job seekers, especially in the para-military agencies as well as some other federal parastatals, pointing out that he has exact figures of money collected for job in each of the agencies.
The youth leader listed the para-military agencies and the amount they demand as follows: Immigration Service -N500,000; Customs Service – N500,000; Police Service -N400,000; Prisons Service -N300,000 and the Civil Defence Corps, N300, 000.
The angry youth leader told the gathering that many well-to-do job seekers even pay more than the amount to get the job and that many unemployed from poor families are denied of opportunities even when they are qualified.
Worried by the youth leader’s claim, the presidential aide asked for clarification on the volatile statement and other youth leaders in the hall came out to give details of their own experiences on the subject matter.
Asali noted further that the practice was pushing many unemployed graduates to the edge, urging the presidential aide to take the matter directly to the president.
The youth leader noted that in some agencies, job seekers who cannot raise money are made to sign bond to forfeit three-month salaries if and when the job is offered to them.
He stated that strong syndicates operate across the said agencies that smoothly run the operations with those who pay getting the job and those who fail to pay losing out in the employment processes.
“Please help us tell Mr President to stop these cabals and throw open the employment process. Little spaces available should not be sold to the children of the rich,” Asali pleaded.
Commenting on Mr Asali‘s submission, Imagwe expressed shock and disbelief at the disclosure and affirmed that the presidency is not aware of such activities in such agencies.
“President Jonathan is a due process leader and he will not condone any agency indulging in such practices. I will compile a full report and I believe the matter will be duly investigated and acted upon,” Imagwe said.
It will be recalled that for some time now, allegations of money for job had been rife in Abuja. It was learnt that the syndicates operate easily because vacancies in many federal agencies are no longer declared publicly as slots are allegedly shared among key public elected and appointed public officials.
The National Assembly had recently questioned employment of 6,000 new employees by the Civil Defence Corps without advertisement but the matter was not pursued further.
Calls to affected agencies for clarifications were not returned and in one agency, an official declined comment due to the sensitivity of the matter.
HIGHLIGHTS
Immigration Service N500,000
Customs Service N500,000
Prisons Service N300,000
Civil Defence N300, 000
http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/48540-money-for-jobs-in-federal-agencies-youths-petition-presidency-presidents-aide-expresses-shock
