Bauchi Commission Sacks Finance Ministry Officials Over Forgery, Funds Diversion

BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Found guilty of gross misconduct, forgery and diversion of funds, two senior staff of the Bauchi State Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning are now jobless with a tarnished public image to flaunt.

For their misdemeanour, both earned summary dismissals by the State Civil Service Commission at its 18th plenary Session held on Tuesday, 15th August 2023.

A press statement by the Information Officer of the Commission, Saleh Umar, said rising from the session held at its Conference Hall, the Commission found the two officers guilty following a disciplinary hearing against them.

The statement explained that the dismissed Officers were found guilty of forging documents that enable them to divert the sum of N332,000 belonging to a former and deceased staff, Jibrin Adamu Zalanga of the Ministry.

It further said that this act contravenes section 327 of the Public Service Rules (PSR) and both of them admitted to having committed the crime in their responses to the queries issued to them individually by the Ministry.

They were earlier arrested by the Police and arraigned before the State Chief Magistrate Court according to the relevant laws..

Meanwhile, the Commission has promoted 73 Officers and approved the conversion of 11 others during the routine activities in its plenary session.

The breakdown indicated that the Ministry of Religious Affairs took the lion’s share in the promotion exercise with 59 staff moved to various grade levels.

In his remarks, the Commission Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Usman Madakin Bunun Bauchi who presided over the session that had all the members in attendance, said the issues of financial disciplinary cases have become worrisome to the Commission.

Admonishing civil servants in the State to be grateful and demonstrate the fear of God in discharging their official duties, he further urged them to always be mindful of extant financial rules and regulations in their daily activities.

Just of recent, the Commission also terminated the appointment of one Ibrahim Garba attached to the State Pension Board for similar offences.