Bauchi Govt Dismisses Officer For Certificate Forgery

The Bauchi State Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has approved the dismissal of officer Habibullah Umar over allegations of certificate forgery, impersonation, and absconding from duty.

This was contained in a resolution of the commission’s disciplinary committee, signed by the overseeing permanent secretary, Alhaji Garba Mohammed Bashi.

He announced that an investigation committee set up by the Commission discovered that Habibullah Umar had forged two degree certificates purportedly issued by the University of Jos to secure employment as a teacher with the state Ministry of Education in 2001.

A statement issued by the commission’s information officer, Comrade Dahiru Adamu and made available to journalists in Bauchi on Friday, revealed that the University of Jos confirmed the certificates were fake upon verification.

The statement added that the officer was found to possess only a NABTEB qualification, which remained his highest credential throughout his 24 years of service.

The statement further disclosed that a public disclaimer on the dismissed officer will be published in one of the national dailies. At the same time, relevant examination bodies, including WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB, will be formally notified, as Umar has served as an examiner for several years.

In a separate development, another officer with the Ministry of Education, Dahiru Abdullahi, has been demoted by one grade level for absconding from duty for a whole year without official permission.

The Commission directed Abdullahi to refund all salaries received during his absence. The statement noted that his conduct contravenes Rule 03302 of the Bauchi State Public Service Rules (Revised Edition), which prescribes disciplinary measures for dereliction of duty.