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The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has uncovered a massive job fraud scandal within the state’s Teachers Service Commission (TSC), involving the alleged diversion of over ₦70 million into a corporate account linked to the Commission’s former Chairman, Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar Gada.
The shocking revelations emerged during a public hearing on Tuesday, conducted by the Assembly’s Investigative Committee on Education, chaired by Hon. Daniel Oga Ogazi. The probe followed public outrage over irregularities in the recent recruitment of teachers across the state.
Key witnesses exposed a well-organized syndicate of civil servants who sold employment letters for between ₦400,000 and ₦600,000 each.
Mr. Yamush Amos, an Evaluation Officer at the State Ministry of Education, confessed to selling 101 employment letters and depositing ₦40 million into a corporate account named Muzafa Universal Domicile, allegedly on the directive of the former TSC chairman.
Another individual, Mr. Bilyyaminu Muhammad Baburo, a classroom teacher at Government Secondary School, Nakere in Wamba LGA, admitted selling 200 job letters.
He revealed that he was paid ₦5 million in commission and transferred ₦30 million to the same corporate account, reportedly provided by Isa Umar, the former chairman’s personal assistant. Both men claimed they acted with the knowledge and approval of Alhaji Gada and appealed to the lawmakers for leniency.
The scandal deepened when Mr. Muhammad Abubakar Muhammad, Special Adviser on Government Affairs, admitted that he submitted a list of 50 names for employment, despite the disapproval of Governor Abdullahi Sule.
He disclosed that around half of the employment letters linked to his list were fake. “I was under immense pressure from stakeholders,” he said. “I commend the Assembly for unmasking this network.”
Mr. Kreki Francis, a former part-time TSC board member, testified that none of the five candidates he was allotted were successfully employed. He further revealed that even some secondary school students were fraudulently hired during the process.
Commenting on the decision by the TSC to retain only 781 out of the 4,243 recruited teachers, Hon. Ogazi described the statement as premature. He added that the current TSC Chairman would be summoned to clarify who authorized such a directive.
The Assembly has also summoned the consulting firm that handled the screening of recruited teachers, rejecting their request for legal consultation time.
Meanwhile, all individuals who paid money for teaching jobs have been invited to appear before the committee at 10:00 a.m. next Monday at the Assembly Complex in Lafia, with evidence.
The investigation continues amid growing public demand for accountability, as lawmakers pledge to bring all culprits to justice.