A major bribery and extortion scandal has rocked the ongoing next level promotions exercises for civil servants in Abia State. Many workers who are processing their promotion, in line with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s automatic promotion for them have accused some corrupt directors of administrations, personal managers and other unit heads in the State civil service of demanding or collecting money from them before processing their promotion papers called Gen.35.
But reacting to the outcries, Abia State Head of Service, Sir Onyi Wamah has vowed to deal ruthlessly with anyone caught in the act. In a release made available to News Echo in Umuahia by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) Office of the Head of Service, Mrs Adaeze Ralph Igbokwe, Abia State Head of Service, the HoS also directed that all money collected from civil servants be returned to them.
The release read as follows: “Government has again warned against the collection of money for the issuance of Gen. 35 in the State public service. Consequently, the State Head of Service, Sir Onyii Wamah has directed permanent secretaries and heads of other government establishments to ensure the immediate refund of such money collected from civil/public servants, in the name of Gen. 35.
“Sir Wamah, also warned those who indulged in the act to desist forth with as any civil/public servant caught in the collection of such money would face disciplinary action in line with the public service rule (PSR)”.
The release went on;”The number one civil servant who expressed disappointment that while government is making sincere efforts to make life bearable for the workforce, some unscrupulous workers are adamant to such describing it as unfair, wickedness and therefore unacceptable and charged permanent secretaries and heads of other establishments to daily checkmate the activities of department and unit heads under their watch”.
It was learnt that some of the victims were extorted N2, 500, N3000 or N3, 500 to have their Gen.35 promotion papers processed. Meanwhile, some nurses at Abia State school of nursing, Amachara, Umuahia North, have accused the school management of allegedly duping them of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000).
The N500, 000 according to the nursing students, were charged as admission and PTS examinations fees on each student in the First Year. The distraught students alleged that after paying the huge sums, most of them were not given admission by the school authority but we’re told that they failed examinations. The nursing students who spoke under anonymity alleged that about were made 250 students were made to pay for admission while only 50 available spaces existed in for admission in the hospital.
The angry students revealed that only 75 persons were admitted into the nursing school, leaving the rest of the students to their fate. According to the students, they were only told that they did not meet the required admission marks, hence their disqualification.
The students demanded that they be given admission or refund of their money. The nursing students claimed that Abia State ministry of health was aware of their complaints but was yet to do anything. Abia State Commissioner for health, Dr Joe Osuji could not comment on the matter as his phone line was unavailable at the time of this report.
Also, a senior official of school of nursing, Amachara who did not want her name in print, said such allegations by the students were not true as the school retains zero tolerance for corruption. She however promised that that the matter would be investigated if it is properly reported to the school department in charge of students’ affairs.
