Reps probe MDAs, varsities, others over job racketeering, ghost workers

The House of Representatives has set up an Ad hoc to investigate alleged employment racketeering, mismanagement of personnel recruitment across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of Federal Government.

The committee was also mandated to investigate alleged malfeasance in the management of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

This was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Wole Oke (PDP-Osun) at plenary on Wednesday.

Moving the motion earlier, Oke said that the Federal Government has numerous agencies which represent the biggest employers of labour in Nigeria.

Oke said that the overhead of public institutions constitutes a major component in the budget of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

According to him, Oke said that recruitment into public service has historically been a channel through which the Federal Government makes social interventions, stabilise society, reduces poverty and increases its access to all parts of Nigeria.

“Not withstanding this near-sacred role being played by the Federal Government, the process of recruiting and employment into the civil service has become one that is fraught with endemic corruption.

“Public institutions have since stopped the process of advertising for jobs and vacancies. Even in the few instances where adverts are published, the slots are already commoditised and available for the highest bidders.

“In other words, most public institutions now sell employment positions, notwithstanding the qualification of the applicant and the ability of the applicant to perform optimally on the job.

“This poses a major risk and has indeed constituted itself into a channel for the underperformance of the Nigerian public service,” he said.

Oke said that between the 1960s to 1990s, Nigeria boasted of one of the best crops of public servants in the world and service delivery was at the highest level of professionalism.

According to him, this situation has since changed, largely because of the method of recruitment and the quality of recruitment into these public institutions, which is driven by fraud, abuses, corruption and pecuniary considerations.

Oke said that the Federal Government had tried to address other abuses within the system particularly, the menace of ghost workers, which necessitated the introduction of the IPPIS to help fish out the large number of ghost workers.

The lawmaker alleged that some agencies of government in collusion with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning have devised methods to insert ghost workers and get payments through back-door channels.

In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Benjamin Kalu mandated the committee to investigate the various agencies of government and tertiary institutions and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

The Star