By Khadijah Shehu Abdulkareem
A massive job racketeering scandal has been uncovered within the Nasarawa State Teachers Service Commission (TSC), with over ₦70 million allegedly traced to a corporate account linked to the former TSC Chairman, Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar Gada.
The shocking revelations emerged during Tuesday’s sitting of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly’s Investigative Committee, chaired by Hon. Daniel Oga Ogazi.
The probe followed public outcry over irregularities in teacher recruitment across the state.
The shocking revelations emerged during Tuesday’s sitting of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly’s Investigative Committee, chaired by Hon. Daniel Oga Ogazi. The probe followed public outcry over irregularities in teacher recruitment across the state.
Testimonies from key witnesses exposed a coordinated network of civil servant syndicates engaged in the sale of employment letters for amounts ranging between ₦400,000 and ₦600,000.
Mr. Yamush Amos, an Evaluation Officer at the State Ministry of Education, admitted to selling 101 employment letters, stating that he transferred ₦40 million into a corporate account named Muzafa Universal Domicile, reportedly at the instruction of the ex-chairman.
Another suspect, Mr. Bilyyaminu Muhammad Baburo, a classroom teacher at Government Secondary School, Nakere, in Wamba LGA, confessed to selling 200 letters. He said he was paid ₦5 million as commission and transferred ₦30 million to the same account, which was allegedly provided by Isa Umar, the Personal Assistant to the former TSC chairman.
Both individuals claimed the transactions were carried out with the full knowledge and approval of Alhaji Gada, and pleaded for leniency from the lawmakers.
The scandal further deepened with the appearance of Mr. Muhammad Abubakar Muhammad, Special Adviser on Government Affairs, who admitted submitting a list of 50 names for employment, despite Governor Abdullahi Sule’s disapproval. He disclosed that about half of the employment letters issued from his list were fake.