ICPC indicts Ngige’s ministry, UCH, for illegal job recruitments

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offices Commission (ICPC) has indicted the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment under Chris Ngige and University College Hospital, Ibadan, over what it described as illegal job recruitments at various government establishments.

The anti-graft agency also implicated members of staff of some unnamed Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), saying such development has compromised some elements in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

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ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, revealed this in Abuja on Tuesday when he spoke at the 3rd national summit on diminishing corruption in the public service and presentation of public service integrity award.

Owasanoye lamented that ”unreasonable” demands by some political appointee board members of MDAs without regard for extant circulars, is aiding the illegal recruitments, adding that it is a major push factor on high cost of governance and rising personnel budget.

The ICPC boss said, ”Your Excellency sir, a major push factor on high cost of governance and rising personnel budget is illegal recruitment, illegal and unilateral increase in wages and remuneration by some MDAs, indiscriminate local and international travels, unreasonable demands by some political appointee board members of MDAs without regard for extant circulars on cost management; procurement fraud, budget padding, etc.

”ICPC investigation of some cases of illegal recruitment forwarded to us by Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has so far implicated Ministry of Labour and the University College Hospital Ibadan and a number of corrupt staff of other MDAs at a lower level. This abuse of power is consummated with complicity of compromised elements in IPPIS. These cases are currently under investigation.”

Speaking further, the don stressed that at another level, a syndicate of corrupt individuals within the service corruptly employ unsuspecting Nigerians, issue them fake letters of employment, fraudulently enroll them on IPPIS and post them to equally unsuspecting MDAs to commence work.

He added, ”ICPC is prosecuting one of the leaders of the syndicate from whose custody we retrieved several fake letters of recommendation purportedly signed by Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Ministers, Federal Civil Service Commission and other high ranking Nigerians.

”Our findings indicate that the same malady of corruption afflicts executive as well as zip projects thus undermining government projections, escalating the cost of governance and denying Nigeria value for money.

”These malady include poor needs assessment that disconnects projects from beneficiaries; false certification of uncompleted contracts as completed, deliberate under performance of contracts incessant criminal diversion and conversion of public property by civil servants, to name just a few.

”Other challenges relate to duplication of projects in the budget. ICPC review found that 257 projects amounting to N20.138b were duplicated in the 2021 budget leading us to submit an advisory to the HMF which was promptly actioned by the Minister to prevent abuse.”