From Ben Adaji Jalingo
Group, Gassol Development Frontier, has called on the Taraba State governor, Dr Agbu Kefas to investigate allegations of employment racketeering and arbitrary sale of market shops against the Chairman of Gassol Local Area, Abubakar Saidu.
In a six page petition addressed to the governor and signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the group, Hamman Gidado and Abubakar Zelani, respectively, they accused the chairman of selling employment slots to over 500 persons amounting to millions of naira since he assumed office.
According to the petitioners, the chairman is using his cronies, including Buhari Muhammed, his closest associate to sell employment letters.
The petition alleged that the employment letters were sold between N350,000 and N500,000 per slot, while over 50 persons from Gassol town were removed from the pay roll and their salaries allegedly diverted by the chairman.
It was also alleged that while some of the job seekers got their employment letters, others did not get theirs after paying between N350,000 and N500,000.
The petitioners revealed that Muhammed, fronting for the Cchairman, allegedly collected N700,000 from Abbas Gashika in Jalingo to secure two employment letters for his sisters at N350,000 each, but failed to provide it after five months.
It was alleged that his failure to deliver the appointment letters compelled Gashika to report the matter to Jalingo Police Division who later forced Muhammad to pay back the money.
The petitioners also alleged that there are cases of several people who were duped by the syndicate who are allies to the chairman, but are afraid of approaching the police or other security agencies.
It was alleged in the petition that the chairman often connives with some officials at the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to issue employment letters to replace those that have either retired, dead or resigned from service for another job.
Furthermore, the petitioners accused him of unilaterally selling 142 shops inside Mararaba Gassol Grain Market worth thousands of naira.
It was alleged that Saidu allocated the shops at the cost of N250,000 without considering the leadership of the market.
Aside from the case at Mararaban Gassol, the petitioners also alleged that the chairman sold about 500 shops at Dananacha Yam Market for N120,000 each and diverted the proceeds to personal use.
They urged Governor Kefas to urgently set up a committee to investigate allegations of maladministration and corruption levelled against Saidu and if found guilty, he should be removed from office and prosecuted.
When contacted, the chairman denied the allegations and described the petition as the handiwork of his political enemies.
He said the local government did not recruit any staff or collect money to issue employment letters to anyone.
He denied using Muhammed to collect money from anyone. ” The local government is not aware of the 50 names said to have been removed from the pay roll,” he said.
Saidu denied selling shops at Mararaban Gassol Grain and Dananacha Yam Markets.
