The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has launched an investigation into a case of alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery against three top management staff members of the National Assembly.
It was learnt that the three officials (names withheld) are currently holding key positions in the management hierarchy.
They were said to have been invited twice by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command over alleged falsification of their dates of birth records, aimed at extending their retirement period.
It was also learnt that the probe of the three officials followed a petition to the Clerk to the National Assembly and the Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission by some workers.
The parliamentary staff under the aegis of Concerned Staff of National Assembly who authored the petition, a copy of which was given to our correspondent, initially accused six officers of doctoring their ages in order to fraudulently extend their stay in service.
Following the petition, the National Assembly reportedly caused investigation into the background of officials, at the end of which three of the listed officers were indicted.
The report of the investigation said the affected officers were found to have “discrepancies’ in their dates of birth.”
According to the report, one of the affected officials was found to have three different dates of birth in his service record.
It accused the official of changing his date of birth from October 6, 1961, to October 6, 1962 and later to October 9, 1963.
Another senior worker involved in the age falsification scandal, according to the report, allegedly changed his date of birth from September 9, 1962, as contained in his personal file at the time of appointment, September 9, 1965 through a sworn affidavit in July 1999.
The third senior official, the report added, allegedly falsified his date of birth which was April 14, 1962 to a new date of birth of April 14, 1964 as discovered in the nominal roll.
It was gathered that the officials might be dismissed from the service of the National Assembly and could be prosecuted.
However, one of the petitioners, who spoke with our correspondent on conditions of anonymity, said the management of the National Assembly could cover up the case because of the personality of those involved.
When contacted, the Director of Information for the National Assembly management Rawlings Agada, said he was not aware of the case.
He said, “The Commission are our employers, they keep documents and records of all staff. They deal with the issues of appointment, promotion and discipline. If such issue arose, the affected officers would have been queried, and the commission would have obtained their responses.
“It is the commission and the management that would release such officers for prosecution after a due process had been followed because all matters dealing with criminal actions are handled by security agencies.
“I don’t think it is possible for anybody to hinder the police from carrying out their investigation.”
Meanwhile, efforts made by our correspondent get necessary clarifications from the Public Relations Officer of the NASC, Emmanuel Anyigor, were futile on Sunday.
Repeated calls made to his mobile phone were not answered and he had yet to reply the text message sent to him. – Punch.
