Funds Meant for Staff Progression Sub-Committee Allegedly Diverted by Plateau Top Govt Official

The Committee on Staff Progression and Analysis set up by the Plateau State Government in 2012 work with the State’s ICT Committee and Local government Service Commission which scope of work included capturing all relevant data of staff progression, capture data that relate to staff establishment status, evaluation, abnormalities in staff records relating to progression, cadres and other critical issues that may be desirable in the improvement in the Local Government Areas, State Universal Basic Education Board and State Civil Service having concluded and submitted there full reports to the Plateau State Government in 2015 are yet to receive the payment expected for their assignment investigation has revealed.

The 43-Member sub-Committee had a Chairman, 6 supervisors, 33 Assessors, a Secretary, an Administrative Assistant and an Administrative Computer Assistant.

Upon completion of the assignment given them in 2013, additional work was given to the Committee.

After the a successful tedious and rigorous assignment the committee was able to produce the first ever detailed and comprehensive report and made valid recommendation which led to massive in reforms of the civil service. The committee’s report also gave recommendation for the establishment of the ministries of secondary education and that of higher education which is the first of its kind in the country.

In the course of the assignment, 5 Members of the Committee lost their lives, while two others died after the exercise.

The Committee worked on over 60,000 files, discovered many ghost workers at all levels who were still drawing salaries from public treasury and saved the State huge sums of money running into hundreds of millions.

Also adhering to one of the recommendations of the Committee, the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission had in June, 2020 carried out massive transfers of 7,551 its unified staff, an exercise that was not done in decades.

In a colorful event on 29th September, 2015 held at the Plateau State Government House, the Committee officially handed over its report to the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako after he took over as Governor and promised to expedite action to settle the Committee’s Allowances.

Each member of the Committee was entitled to N4.5 million for the entire assignment but due to paucity of funds, that was reviewed downward.

The Committee was said to be working directly under the then Permanent Secretary of the Plateau State Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Fabian Ntung.

Mr. Ntung was said to had offered each committee Member the sum of N70,000, N80,000 and N90,000 in some cases as “Christmas gift” from the Governor in 2015 pending when they will receive their full allowances.

All files and communications relating to the Committee assignment have disappeared and Members are yet to receive their allowances for the assignment.

The committee alleged that the funds have been released and wondered why they are yet to be paid their allowances for the assignment which has contributed greatly to the State.

As a government who has zero tolerance for corruption, all eyes are on it to unravel what happened and reasons behind the non-payment of the Committee after completing a successful and rigorous assignment.

Members of the Committee are calling on the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong to revisit the issue to know what went wrong that they are still unable to get their allowances.

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Funds Meant for Staff Progression Sub-Committee Allegedly Diverted by Plateau Top Govt Official

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About The Author
- Friday Bako is Certified National Accountant (CNA), Blogger, Social Media Influencer/Strategist, Youth Activist and Advocate for good governance.