Governor Adams Oshiomhole has
explained why he removed the immediate past Head of Service of the State, Jerry
Obazele. The Governor said, Obazele was removed over gross negligence tending
towards fraud. The Governor explained this in details while speaking during the
swearing-in of the New Head of Service of State, Gladys Idahor at the
Government House in Benin City yesterday. And we must say what led to Obazele’s
removal is somewhat embarrassing. Really embarrassing, lol. Read from the Governor
right after the cut.
“He was appointed according to my
judgment and I accept responsibility for my poor sense of judgment but I also
have the courage to correct my mistakes once I discovered it was a mistake.
judgment and I accept responsibility for my poor sense of judgment but I also
have the courage to correct my mistakes once I discovered it was a mistake.
“The responsibility of a Head of
Service is to be a superintendent over the Civil service. There are many of our
senior citizens who had retired from service from as far back as 1999, some
even under the military and by the time I assumed office, many of these senior
citizens had not received their gratuity for over a period of 12, 13 years.
Service is to be a superintendent over the Civil service. There are many of our
senior citizens who had retired from service from as far back as 1999, some
even under the military and by the time I assumed office, many of these senior
citizens had not received their gratuity for over a period of 12, 13 years.
The situation was compounded by
the thousands of workers that were retrenched by a former PDP government
between 2000 and 2001 and all of those people were not paid their gratuity.
the thousands of workers that were retrenched by a former PDP government
between 2000 and 2001 and all of those people were not paid their gratuity.
“There is no worst crime to a
working man or woman than to deny him his deferred wage which we call gratuity
which is meant to be paid at the point of disengagement so he can use the money
to establish and face the rigors and reality of retirement.
working man or woman than to deny him his deferred wage which we call gratuity
which is meant to be paid at the point of disengagement so he can use the money
to establish and face the rigors and reality of retirement.
“We tried to deal with this
problem from inception. First, I gave a standing instruction to the Accountant
General that pensioners must be paid exactly the same day as the current Civil
Servants. It is not that we pay them if there is something left because at the
end of the day, nothing will be left when you pay for every other thing. You
must give priority accordingly.
problem from inception. First, I gave a standing instruction to the Accountant
General that pensioners must be paid exactly the same day as the current Civil
Servants. It is not that we pay them if there is something left because at the
end of the day, nothing will be left when you pay for every other thing. You
must give priority accordingly.
“Two months ago, I called the Head
of Service and I said, I am looking forward to the end of my tenure. When I say
I want to finish strong and finish well, it is not only in the area of physical
infrastructure, but I also want to deal with the social sector. I want to look
for money and pay a chunk of money to these pensioners so that we can reduce
the waiting time.
of Service and I said, I am looking forward to the end of my tenure. When I say
I want to finish strong and finish well, it is not only in the area of physical
infrastructure, but I also want to deal with the social sector. I want to look
for money and pay a chunk of money to these pensioners so that we can reduce
the waiting time.
“So I asked him, do you have the
numbers and the cost and he said yes and I told him, let me have the documents.
He produced a document which detailed the number of pensioners year-by-year and
the amount required year by year.
numbers and the cost and he said yes and I told him, let me have the documents.
He produced a document which detailed the number of pensioners year-by-year and
the amount required year by year.
“No more gratuity based on who you
know, it is batch by batch depending on when you retired. So I saw from the
records that Obazele gave me that we have paid up to 2010. We have paid many
people who retired in 2010 and according to the document, we had 130 persons
who retired in 2010 who have not been paid and we had some other persons in
2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
know, it is batch by batch depending on when you retired. So I saw from the
records that Obazele gave me that we have paid up to 2010. We have paid many
people who retired in 2010 and according to the document, we had 130 persons
who retired in 2010 who have not been paid and we had some other persons in
2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
“These numbers were stated clearly
and he also stated clearly to me how much we required to pay for each year. For
2010, the figure was N175 million to settle the 130 persons. I said, OK, you
let me have the names of these 130 persons for 2010 and the names of those who
retired in 2011 through 2014 and the amount. The date of the retirement, the
day of employment, the total number of years served which is the basis of
calculating gratuity.
and he also stated clearly to me how much we required to pay for each year. For
2010, the figure was N175 million to settle the 130 persons. I said, OK, you
let me have the names of these 130 persons for 2010 and the names of those who
retired in 2011 through 2014 and the amount. The date of the retirement, the
day of employment, the total number of years served which is the basis of
calculating gratuity.
“One week passed, two weeks and by
the 3rd week, I was watching news and I saw pensioners protesting but I had
given instructions three weeks earlier that I want to pay these pensioners but
I needed the details to do it.
the 3rd week, I was watching news and I saw pensioners protesting but I had
given instructions three weeks earlier that I want to pay these pensioners but
I needed the details to do it.
“I told my secretary to call the
Head of Service to submit all the details by 11am the next day since he already
has the summary so we could start the process of payment. He should come also
with the Pension Board Members and all the documents that have to do with
pension payments.
Head of Service to submit all the details by 11am the next day since he already
has the summary so we could start the process of payment. He should come also
with the Pension Board Members and all the documents that have to do with
pension payments.
“At 11am, they were in my office
and they gave me a voluminous document. Just looking at it straight, I tried to
look at 2010. Whereas the first document that was given says 130 pensioners
have gratuity pending, the total value of which was N175 million, the new
document shows 2010 that we have 377 people and we now need N490 million to pay
them. For 2011, 2012, 2013, all the figures had changed.
and they gave me a voluminous document. Just looking at it straight, I tried to
look at 2010. Whereas the first document that was given says 130 pensioners
have gratuity pending, the total value of which was N175 million, the new
document shows 2010 that we have 377 people and we now need N490 million to pay
them. For 2011, 2012, 2013, all the figures had changed.
“So I said, I don’t know all the
details but 2010, I remember asking you, and you said many have been paid and
that only 130 is the number left. So how has this number increased by 300% to
377? Obazele you are an Accountant, you have been Auditor-General, you have
been Accountant-General, Permanent Secretary and now Head of Service. You more
than me should be at home with figures, how do you explain this?
details but 2010, I remember asking you, and you said many have been paid and
that only 130 is the number left. So how has this number increased by 300% to
377? Obazele you are an Accountant, you have been Auditor-General, you have
been Accountant-General, Permanent Secretary and now Head of Service. You more
than me should be at home with figures, how do you explain this?
“The first thing he said was that,
you know maybe they changed the mode of calculations. Maybe they are looking at
when the papers were prepared rather than when people retired so I said,
whatever formula you used, the number must remain the same. The total cost will
not change. The only possibility of the numbers changing is if you have
doctored the documents.
you know maybe they changed the mode of calculations. Maybe they are looking at
when the papers were prepared rather than when people retired so I said,
whatever formula you used, the number must remain the same. The total cost will
not change. The only possibility of the numbers changing is if you have
doctored the documents.
“In any case, the first document
was given to me by you, prepared by ICT and this one you are giving me is also
prepared by the same unit. Why should differences occur? If two people use
different formula, I can understand.
was given to me by you, prepared by ICT and this one you are giving me is also
prepared by the same unit. Why should differences occur? If two people use
different formula, I can understand.
This is the same source and then
he said, ‘oh, I didn’t actually look at the documents’. I said, you didn’t look
at the documents you brought to me?
he said, ‘oh, I didn’t actually look at the documents’. I said, you didn’t look
at the documents you brought to me?
“The document, four persons
signed: Accountant and DFA Pension Board signed, Secretary Pension Board
signed, Director, ICT Software signed, Permanent Secretary, ICT signed, four
signatories .Now, if I hadn’t remembered what they gave me before, seeing four
signatories, I would have approved it and the numbers had changed radically.
signed: Accountant and DFA Pension Board signed, Secretary Pension Board
signed, Director, ICT Software signed, Permanent Secretary, ICT signed, four
signatories .Now, if I hadn’t remembered what they gave me before, seeing four
signatories, I would have approved it and the numbers had changed radically.
“Now, the simple thing was that in
the past, when they bring this document, I normally minute it to the ICT to
crosscheck. So now, they got ICT person to sign so that I have no escape route but
trust, there was an escape route and I could see through it. So I called the
Director of SSS to send me security officers to the pensions board to retrieve
all the files so we could prepare fresh documents that would form the basis to
pay those pensioners.
the past, when they bring this document, I normally minute it to the ICT to
crosscheck. So now, they got ICT person to sign so that I have no escape route but
trust, there was an escape route and I could see through it. So I called the
Director of SSS to send me security officers to the pensions board to retrieve
all the files so we could prepare fresh documents that would form the basis to
pay those pensioners.
“As a result, my hope and
determination to pay those pensioners before my 7th year anniversary was
dashed. You see, I had the will, I had looked for the money but somebody in the
Civil service compromised my intention by falsifying numbers. That is Civil
Servants inhumanity to Civil Servants.
determination to pay those pensioners before my 7th year anniversary was
dashed. You see, I had the will, I had looked for the money but somebody in the
Civil service compromised my intention by falsifying numbers. That is Civil
Servants inhumanity to Civil Servants.
“We had to appoint a new audit
firm and they have shown something that will shock you that in the Pensions
Board, they prepared for 1 person, 2 pensions with 2 original documents. Same
date of birth, same salary, everything same, but two original vouchers. So
whereas the real man is old and dying, those that the government has put in
place to prepare their pension are busy feasting on the lives of these senior
citizens.
firm and they have shown something that will shock you that in the Pensions
Board, they prepared for 1 person, 2 pensions with 2 original documents. Same
date of birth, same salary, everything same, but two original vouchers. So
whereas the real man is old and dying, those that the government has put in
place to prepare their pension are busy feasting on the lives of these senior
citizens.
“We are disbanding the Pensions
Board because they have lived on fraud. Now we are reviewing and re organizing
even the ICT, clean it up and ensure we have responsible and competent people
with character to man it.
Board because they have lived on fraud. Now we are reviewing and re organizing
even the ICT, clean it up and ensure we have responsible and competent people
with character to man it.
“I believe and I am determined
that before Christmas, not later than next week, we will do everything possible
to commence the process of paying many of these pensioners whose records have
been cleaned up.
that before Christmas, not later than next week, we will do everything possible
to commence the process of paying many of these pensioners whose records have
been cleaned up.
“This is the reason I had to take
the painful decision of relieving the former Head of Service of his job and in
searching for replacement. I know a lady who had managed, easily the most
difficult ministry and under whom we have sanitized the ministry of education.
the painful decision of relieving the former Head of Service of his job and in
searching for replacement. I know a lady who had managed, easily the most
difficult ministry and under whom we have sanitized the ministry of education.
“So I believe that Mrs. Idahor
possesses not just the qualification and experience but also the boldness and I
know that the service will be in very good hands.”
possesses not just the qualification and experience but also the boldness and I
know that the service will be in very good hands.”
The governor explained that his
decision was taken to protect the interest of the Pensioners and Edo taxpayers
and does not have any ethnic or religious colouration.
decision was taken to protect the interest of the Pensioners and Edo taxpayers
and does not have any ethnic or religious colouration.
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