Bayelsa uncovers 718 fake employment letters

Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Government has uncovered over 700 suspected fake appointment letters in the civil service.

According to investigations, top government officials in the Due Process Office, Civil Service Commission and Treasury have been fingered as part of the syndicate in the employment racketeering.

This was the findings of the committee on verification of appointment letters inaugurated by the civil service commission following a sharp increase in the monthly wage bill of the civil service.

Governor Douye Diri was said to have given his nod to the probe by the committee, headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mightyman Dikuro, after it was discovered that some people took advantage of the transition in February to pad the monthly wage bill with back door employment.

Further investigation revealed that the police have arrested some of those involved and they have, in turn, offered useful information about the ringleaders.

Chairman of Civil Service Commission, Peter Singabele, confirmed the discovery while receiving the report of the committee.

Singabele disclosed that the syndicate operated with some officials at the commission and the treasury.

According to him, the syndicate was suspected to have collected money from unsuspecting applicants to facilitate their employment into the civil service, stating that fake letters of appointments were issued to them with which they allegedly enrolled as civil servants, thereby increasing the government wage bill.

Singabele, said the syndicate believed to be in the government circle, was suspected to have fraudulently facilitated appointments into the state’s civil service using fake governor’s letter head and signature.

He said disciplinary actions would be taken after studying the recommendations of the committee in line with the civil service rules.

Singabele, however, assured genuine civil servants not to panic over the fake stories making the rounds on different social media platforms that Governor Diri was planning to sack Bayelsans employed by the previous administration, insisting that there are no plans to sack any genuine worker.