Bauchi State Civil Service Commission Dismisses Senior Civil Servants for Forgery, Diversion of Funds

The Bauchi State Civil Service Commission (BSCSC) has taken decisive action by terminating the appointments of two senior civil servants over allegations of forgery and diversion of funds.

The development was confirmed in a statement issued by Mr. Saleh Umar, the Information Officer of BSCSC, highlighting the circumstances surrounding the dismissals.

The two officials, Nasiru Sama’ila, Chief Clerical Officer, and Awwal Jibrin, Assistant Chief Clerical Officer, both affiliated with the state’s Ministry of Finance, were found guilty of forging documents and subsequently diverting a sum of N332,000 belonging to a former and deceased staff member of the ministry, Jibrin Zalanga.

The decision to terminate their appointments was reached during the 18th plenary session of the commission on August 15, 2023. The commission’s findings revealed that the actions of the dismissed officers were in contravention of section 327 of the Public Service Rule (PSR). They admitted their involvement in the crimes when responding to queries issued by the ministry.

The commission took their actions seriously and pursued legal actions, leading to their arrest and arraignment before the Chief Magistrate to face the consequences of their actions. The statement also highlighted that during the same plenary session, 73 officers were promoted, with the State Ministry of Religious Affairs seeing the largest number of promotions with 59 personnel promoted to various grades.

The Chairman of the commission, Alh. Abubakar Husman, emphasized the importance of financial discipline among the workers, urging them to remain grateful and uphold ethical conduct in their official duties. The case serves as a reminder to all civil servants to adhere to financial instructions and principles while discharging their responsibilities.

Notably, this termination follows a similar case in which another civil servant, Ibrahim Garba, attached to the state Pension Board, faced similar consequences for a comparable offense, indicating the commission’s commitment to maintaining ethical standards and accountability within the civil service.