CSO Raises The Alarm Over Delay In Sanctioning NASS Officials For Alleged Falsifification, Forgery

 

A civil society organisation, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Justice and Equity+CCSO-JE has alerted members of the public on the delay of the National Assembly and its management to carry out discplinary action on the report of the panel set up to investigate three senior officers of the legislative arm of government allegedly involved in age falsification and forgery.

The body expressed fears that the 2022 budget and the integrity of information recorded may be compromised if the act of the officers is not handled in line with the Conditions of Service in the National Assembly (July, 2020 edition).

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Comrade Olayemi Success, the Chief Convener of the group stated that the officials involved are Okpara Michael Nnaechi (Secretary Planning & Legislative Budget); Dauda Ibrahim El-Ladan (Clerk Senate) and Adebanjo Anthony Ademola(Secretary, Special Duties) whose involvement in the misconduct was also confirmed in the official secret records of the National Assembly.

Comrade Success alleged that efforts to ensure sanity and effect justice in the matter is being scuttled by the powers that be urging the Senate President and Chairman of the National Assembly, Ahmad Lawan to make sure the right thing is done and not aid and albeit criminal acts, forgery and corruption in the system.

“In an earlier petition dated November 16, 2021 by Masalaha Law and Associates, where the leadership of the legislative arm of government were accused for failing to apply the right procedure in suspending the alleged Officers as soon as they were charged before the Federal High Court, Abuja on 21st October, 2021. We considered this as a flagrant abuse of office by the National Assembly Service Commission for condoning naked and gross misconduct by their ‘favorite Officers’ which is nothing but tantamount to aiding and abetting in the act of corruption; criminal forgery; and falsification of official records in the National Assembly of the Federation.

“We argued that if the National Assembly could fold its arms and fail to send the accused individuals who falsified and forged official records to where they belong, it is a dent to the anti-corruption toga of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

“A further report was written by the National Assembly as requested by the Nigeria Police dated November 22, 2020, issuing a Certified True Copy (CTC)and having received the CTC as mentioned above, the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) of the Nigeria Police wrote another letter requesting the release of the above named persons (Staff), dated the 27th November, 2020, acknowledged received by the office of Clerk of National Assembly on the 2nd December, 2020.

“However, to the surprise and consternation of the entire staff of the National Assembly and the world at large, nothing was ever heard of this matter again, a situation which has emboldened the above named persons (Staff) and which may unquestionably set a bad precedence for all and sundry.”

“The primary official secret record (ie Kalamazoo/Ledger) has been brought and tabled before the Committee on Establishment of the National Assembly Service Commission where the real age of the accused has been revealed. So, why is the Chairman; and the Commissioners drag footing , if not collusion?

“We are reliably aware of a Sub-Committee on Establishment report of the National Assembly Service Commission, which has indicted the accused persons and for the sake of fair hearing has given them the privilege of seven days to write to the Commission on the alleged falsification of their age if they have superior evidence that contradicts that of the primary source of KALAMAZOO/LEDGER RECORD.”

The CCSO-JE demanded that the report and their defense be made public and also an action should be taken in order to send a signal to others that may be planning to perpetuate same crime. “We chose to remind the National Assembly that its integrity is at stake again after its immediate past management was flushed out impromptu due to the same allegations of age falsification that rocked the management to its foundation.

It also sought that, “The National Assembly Service Commission should once be seen to discharge their primary and fundamental responsibility for which the Commission was established with immediate effect on the alleged falsification of official records by the accused. We demand that the Chairman, the Commissioners and the Clerk to the National Assembly stop covering up any form of illegality within the service of the National Assembly.

“More importantly, we sternly warn the Senate President, Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan to stop interfering with the matter that has to do with civil service and he should allow the Law to take its course. We have reliable information that the Senate President has been doing everything within his power, to cover and protect the accused persons for his inordinate ambition of pocketing the National Assembly Service Commission as evidenced in the referral made to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions. This is contemptuous.

“With a much troubled and wounded spirit, we are using this medium to strongly appeal to the fathers and mothers of this country; the Nigerian and the international press not to sell their conscience until justice prevail. Further to the above, we call on President Buhari to immediately call Mr Lawan to order so that the glaring case of corruption and criminal falsification of official records in the National Assembly does not tannish his image and that of his administration,” Success stressed.