NASU, ASCSN urge public to disregard dismissed staff’s misinformation  against JAMB

NASU, ASCSN urge public to disregard dismissed staff’s misinformation  against JAMB

By Uji A. Iliyasu

Abuja

The Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) chapter of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said former staff, Yisa Usman’s unsubstantiated allegations against the board should be dismissed with a wave of the hand, adding that his intention was to tarnish the reputation of the board and undermine the welfare initiatives established by the management through various approvals.

This is contained in a release signed by Comrade Andrew O. Onakpa of NASU and Comrade Ebenezer O. Ayelabola of ASCSN on Monday, part of which reads:

“We assert with full authority that the allegations being spread by Mr Usman are baseless and aimed solely at discrediting the Board. His claims that funds are being misallocated to individuals are nothing more than a desperate attempt to disrupt the functioning of the Board.

“Mr. Usman should explain how staff received payments prior to 2016 if not through their personal accounts, including his own. Since the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), staff members, including Mr. Usman, received advances directly into their personal accounts. We challenge him to provide evidence to the contrary.

“His assertion that the Board has self-declared as a Government Owned Enterprise (GOE) is a clear indication of his misunderstanding. The Federal Government has designated the Board as a GOE through existing laws, and it is the Board’s obligation to comply with government mandates. This reflects Mr. Usman’s ignorance of governmental operations.

“While he criticizes the staff housing scheme and other welfare initiatives, he fails to recognize that government regulations do not prohibit the introduction of housing schemes for individual home acquisition in the form of grants and loans. What is restricted is government ownership and maintenance of official housing.”

The unionists said they were  happy that Mr. Usman’s petitions submitted to various government bodies have being investigated and found to be false, and therefore, the board has been cleared of any wrongdoing. 

“These bodies include the Office of the Immediate Past Vice-President of Nigeria, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) of the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Auditor General of the Federation. Each of these investigations found the Board to be compliant and above reproach.”

The unionists said when  the authorities completed their findings, which cleared the board, Mr. Usman resorted  to disparaging them instead of accepting the outcomes. 

“It is evident that he is being used as a pawn by those who wish to undermine the management of the Board.

“We urge the Management of the Board to remain focused and disregard Mr. Usman’s desperate attempts to vent his frustrations. Since his dismissal, which was mandated by the Federal Ministry of Education, he has made defamatory remarks about various officials, resulting in two separate prosecutions by the police for providing false information and defaming a police officer.

“Rather than show remorse, he continues to engage in the very behaviours for which he is being prosecuted, disseminating false and malicious information to damage the Board’s reputation. It is ironic that Mr. Usman, who was in charge of five out of six divisions of the finance department during a time of significant financial misconduct, is now attempting to position himself as a moral authority. 

“He did not raise concerns about the Board’s practices until he was reassigned in 2017, despite the rampant corruption that was later uncovered, including substantial recoveries made by the current management from his tenure with millions of naira including the houses presently occupied by the National Senior Secondary Education Commission in Maitama, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in Garki and the Board’s Abuja Zonal office Complex in Kado, Life Camp, are recoveries quietly made by the present management from Mr Yisa golden era.”

The unionists, therefore, strongly advised those supporting Mr. Usman in his misguided claims to think twice to avoid misinformation saying, “Enough is indeed enough”.