- From Sanusi Muhammad
IN its determination to flush out criminal elements in its service, Bauchi State Government has suspended four of its civil servants from service for criminal conspiracy, forgery and abuse of office and diversion of public funds meant for the development of the state.
Those criminals sent on suspension include the immediate past Accountant-General of the State, Sa’idu Abubakar who was inherited from the former administration of Barrister Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar and retained by the Bala Muhammed administration in 2019 until recently he was posted out of the treasury as permanent secretary to the Ministry for Higher Education, Danjuma Garba (permanent secretary ministry for natural resources), Umar Yusufu Gital (Clerk of the State House of Assembly) and the other itchy-fingered rogue, Bala Ibrahim Sabo (Chief Accountant).
In a letter addressed to Bauchi State House of Assembly Service Commission signed by Ibrahim Adamu Gambaki (Permanent Secretary), General Administration Department, Office of the State Head of Civil Service dated September 27, 2024 with Ref No. GO/GA/5/CMT/49/T.5 with the caption: “Request for the Formalization of Interdiction of Some Principal Officers on Investigation by the Bauchi State Public Complaints & Anti-Corruption Commission”, part of which stated that, “the Senior Management Committee of the State Civil Service had deliberated on the investigative report of the Anti-Corruption Commission in an emergency meeting held on Friday, September 27, 2024 and recommended the immediate interdiction of the three officers
“However, the case of Umar Yusuf Gital (Clerk of the State House of Assembly), was referred to the State House of Assembly Commission for appropriate action”.
In a swift action on receipt of the detailed report, the State Civil Service Commission (CSC) at its extra-ordinary sitting on September 30th reviewed the recommendations contained in the report for appropriate disciplinary action.
As part of the recommended disciplinary action, the Commission placed the affected senior officers on immediate suspension in accordance with Section 0331 of the State’s Civil Service regulations for further investigation to unearth the truth of the matter.
In his remarks, CSC chairman, Usman Abubakar advised civil servants to adhere strictly to the rules of engagement and remain committed to the ideals of good governance anchored by Governor Bala Muhammed in his tireless effort in developing the state.
Abubakar warned that any public servant found wanting in the discharge of his statutory functions should be ready to carry the cross of his action and face the music.
Sa’idu Abubakar, who seemed to be a loyal servant with sincere commitment to the success of the Governor Bala Muhammed led administration, and supposedly a close and trusted confident of the governor, was least expected to have soiled his name in sharp corrupt practices and other cases of malfeasance to betray the trust reposed in him by the governor.
Unknowingly to the governor, Sa’idu was a wolf in a sheep’s skin typical of a kleptomaniac pretending to be upright and sincere in managing the resources of the state while cornering sizeable portion of it to his private vault.
Not done, efforts have been put-in-place by other concerned groups to expose
those landed properties and other investments acquired by Sa’idu through some fronts with suspected stolen funds for retrieval after trial by the authority which are scattered within Bauchi GRA and other choice areas in Bauchi metropolis and neighboring states.
In a related development, observers have called on Governor Bala Muhammed to appoint a High-powered panel of enquiry to probe all ministries, departments and agencies in the state to unearth more scandals associated with betrayal of trust.
