ALLEGED BRIBERY SCANDAL, ILLEGAL PROMOTION ROCKS DELTA STATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE COMMISSION AS SECRETARY FINGERED

Trail Reporters

Information made available to Trail Reporters News shows that, while the Executive Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is doing his best possible to eradicate corruption and corrupt practices in the State, some of his appointees are hell bent on frustrating his genuine efforts by perpetrating serious acts of corruption. This is the case with the Delta State Local Government Service Commission which has been turned into a cesspool of corruption.

In a document sighted by our correspondent, some officials of Delta State Local Government Service Commission have been petitioned to the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) over corrupt practices perpetrated by the Secretary to the Delta State Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Clement O. Anighoro and the Present Head of Personnel Management (HPM) in charge of Uvwie Local Government Council, Mr Joseph Akpodiete. The petitioner, Mr. Omodibbo Joseph claimed that the HPM in charge of Uvwie Local Government Council, Mr. Joseph Akpodiete was illegally advanced, promoted and appointed as HPM with forged results/documents which he illegally acquired with the active support of the Secretary to the Delta State Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Clement O. Anighoro who has turned himself to a demigod and grandfather of corruption in the Commission.

The Petitioner, Mr. Omodibbo Joseph alleged that Mr. Joseph Akpodiete was his junior on the seniority list and was an Executive Officer alongside 60 other staff of the Commission, when he forged documents to take the Compulsory Competitive Examination in 2002/2003 thereby impersonating as Administrative Officer, whereas, only genuine Administrative officers are permitted to sit for such examination as clearly spelt out in the Circular Letter released by Delta State Ministry of Secondary and basic Education, and who is also responsible for the conduct of such examinations. It was further stated by the petitioner that himself and 60 other staff of the Commission including Mr. Joseph Akpodiete now Uvwie Local Government Council HPM were officially converted from Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Adm SGL 08 to the post of Administrative Officer I SGL 09 via an Inter-Cadre Transfer letter with Reference No. LGCD/37/409 dated 14th November 2003 with effective date from January 2004, after which 60 staff of the Commission excluding Mr. Joseph Akpodiete(present HPM Uvwie Local Government Council) sat for the compulsory Competitive examination and passed, it was alleged that, surprisingly, Mr. Joseph Akpodiete who was a junior to the petitioner was now promoted with a fraudulent/illegal result as Head of Personnel Management.

Discreet investigation by our crack team of reporters revealed that, several letters of appeal forwarded by the petitioner to the Chairman, Delta State Local Government Service Commission notifying them of the illegality and corrupt practices perpetrated by Mr. Joseph Akpodiete and his cohorts were covered up by the Secretary, Mr. Clement O. Anighoro after money exchanged hands. It was further revealed that the Commission exonerated Mr. Joseph Akpodiete of any wrong doing of forgery, impersonation and other corrupt practices without proper investigation via a letter dated 20th February, 2015 with Reference No. LGPD 47/11/72 which was sighted by our correspondent, clearly showing that there was conspiracy by some top officials of the Commission to cover up the illegality/corrupt practices perpetrated by Mr. Joseph Akpodiete who is allegedly being used by the Secretary and other members of the Commission to siphon public funds.

Further investigation revealed that in a bid to sanitize the Delta State Local Government Service Commission, the Executive Governor of Delta State, Senator(Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa directed the Chairman, Delta State Local Government Commission, Hon. Joseph Otirhue to look into all petitions involving staff of the Unified Tertiary Local Government Service Commission, which led to a 6-man Committee being constituted by the Commission’s Chairman. Members of the Committee are Pastor Greatman John Chukwuka (1st Member of the Commission) – Chairman, Hon. (Revd) Mrs Catherine Illolo (2nd Member of the Commission)- Committee Member, Chief(Mrs) Rose Asore(3rd Member of the Commission)- Committee Member, Mr. Clement O. Anighoro (Secretary of the Commission)- Committee Secretary and Mr. Nelson Enuekwe(DPM of the Commission)- Committee Member.

In-depth Investigation also revealed that, the Petitioner, Mr. Joseph Omodibbo was never officially invited by the 6-man Committee despite official receipt of his several complaints by the Commission, but appeared before the Committee on the last day of their sitting where he was embarrassed and asked to go out because he wasn’t invited by the Committee, but the Committee’s Chairman, Pastor Greatman John Chukwuka intervened on other members to allow him speak showing clearly that the petitioner’s letters were not considered. However, the Petitioner alleged that while he was given the opportunity to speak with the Committee, the Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Clement O. Anighoro became the defendant to his associate partner in crime, Mr. Joseph Akpodiete, who was promoted illegally to the post of HPM through his influence and has continued to ensure illegality/ corrupt practices continues to thrive within the Commission.

A reliable source within the Commission, confirmed to our Reporter that the 6-man Committee report has been submitted to the Commission’s Chairman with recommendations not favourable to the petitioner. It was also alleged that the Secretary has openly boasted that he is untouchable and has continued to remain Secretary to the Commission for a long period of time without being removed due to his alleged closeness to some top Aides of the Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa.

As as the time of going to the Press, the suspects are yet to be invited and quizzed by the antigraft agency, ICPC while several telephone calls placed to the Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu on 0803329…2 for comments were not answered as the Governor was also copied in the petition forwarded to the antigraft agency. When contacted, the Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Clement O. Anighoro said he was not the secretary when Mr Joseph Akpodiete was promoted as HPM. Our Reporter who further queried why the petition sent to the Commission on the illegal promotion was not act on, he said the petition was addressed to the Chairman of the Commission, not him as the Secretary.