Blank NEWS Online can reveal that 26 employees of the Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission (DSHAC) have been dismissed for parading fake certificate.

The Chairman of the Commission, Barr. (Mrs) Josephine Ada Kachikwu who disclosed this in a statement made available to Blank NEWS Online, also said that the dismissal was done after a thorough verification and re-verification exercise carried out by a firm of auditors engaged to carry out a certificate verification exercise of the staff of the Commission.

“Based on in-fighting by some employees over seniority resulting in protests that some of their colleagues were presenting fake certificates so that they would be upgraded far and above their equals, the Commission engaged the services of a firm of external auditors to carry out certificate verification.”

“The firm has submitted its report and every case was subjected to further re-verification to remove any possible human error and so far, 26 employees have been dismissed from the services of the Commission for parading fake certificates; two are on interdiction, while pending cases are about 20.”

The DSHAC Chairman who made this in the statement highlighting the activities of the Commission, reiterated that the decision to sack the staff will go “down in history as the most agonising decision by the Commission.”

She said since the inauguration of the Commission under her watch as Chairman by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2011, it had been carrying out a policy of motivation of employees to ensure an “efficient and effective service delivery in the legislature.”

“It is very important to state that the Commission has set a standard whereby every eligible staff for promotion is subjected to a refresher course and subsequent examination before being promoted; staff are always promoted based on merit,” Barr. Kachikwu said.

She added, “as an incentive package, the Commission pays a handsome out-fit allowance to all staff annually to enable them maintain cooperate and dignifying looks of parliamentary staff,” while “the Commission has provided a labour-friendly climate for the flourishing of a robust workers’ union, the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).”

Barr. Kachikwu thanked Governor Uduaghan for approving the funds for the training and re-training of staff which has made staff to be more conscious of themselves and their duties.