Job Racketeering: Reps Petition ICPC Over Bribery Allegations
…As polytechnic rectors deny bribing lawmakers
By Aremu Sosanya
The Chairman of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating alleged job racketeering and mismanagement of the Integrated Personnel Payment Information System (IPPIS) by Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Hon. Yusuf Gagdi on Thursday disclosed that they have petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate allegations of bribery against members of the committee.
Gagdi, who disclosed this at the resumed hearing of the panel said he has asked the anti-graft agency to investigate the account number allegedly released to heads of tertiary institutions for the payments of bribes as reported.
He said, “I have already written to the ICPC to investigate that account number that was published, the owner of that account and whether there is any transaction by Vice-Chancellors, rectors of polytechnics and leaders of tertiary institutions in the country.”
Gagdi also threatened that the committee would take legal action against the online medium over the publication which he said was to “blackmail and discredit” the committee.
Meanwhile, rectors of Federal Polytechnics across the country Thursday refuted allegations that they were asked to give bribes by members of the investigating committee.
Chairman of the Committee of Federal Polytechnics’ Rectors, Engr Yahaya Mohammed who spoke on behalf of the polytechnic rectors who were present at the resumed hearing of the investigative hearing said they had at no time interfaced with any member of the panel and also denied being given any account number to pay bribes as alleged.
It would be recalled that an online platform had on Tuesday in an investigation, reported how some members of the panel had asked vice chancellors of universities and heads of tertiary institutions to pay a certain amount of money as bribes into a bank account in order to give them a soft landing.
Members of the committee were also reported to have been engaging in extortion of money from heads of federal ministries, departments and agencies, including those of tertiary institutions across the country.
Mohammed, who is also the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State, said this when the chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Yusuf Gagdi asked him to speak on the allegations of bribery and extortion levied against members of the committee as reported.
The rector said, “This is our first time interfacing with the committee. All of us came to Abuja yesterday. Chairman, we are not in receipt of any account number or account name by any member of this committee. I will say under oath that we have not received any account number from any member of this committee.”
