The Senate has endorsed the recommendations of its Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions concerning two high-profile cases: one involving misconduct allegations against a former civil servant and another addressing claims of wrongful termination of employment.
In the case of misconduct allegations against Mr. Uwalaka Peter Ebere, a former staff member of the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation. the petition was presented by Senator Onyewuchi Ezenwa (Imo East).
In the petition Mr. Ebere alleged wrongful dismissal in 2020, claiming he was not afforded a fair hearing and sought reinstatement with payment of outstanding salaries.
However, the committee’s investigation revealed that Mr. Ebere was guilty of employment racketeering.
He was found to have extorted money from job seekers under false pretenses, issued fake appointment letters, and later refunded part of the extorted amount when confronted by one of his victims.
The committee affirmed that both the Office of the Auditor General and the Federal Civil Service Commission found him culpable of fraudulent practices.
The Senate committee led by its chairman Neda Imasuen had recommended upholding Mr. Ebere’s dismissal to serve as a deterrent to others.
It had also directed the Office of the Auditor General to identify similar offenders and hand them over to law enforcement for prosecution.
The Senate unanimously adopted the recommendations.
In the second case, Senator Sunday Marshall Katung (Kaduna South) had presented the petition of Mr. Yakubu Gaku Mbaka, who alleged wrongful termination of his employment by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) in 2018.
Investigations by the committee revealed that Mr. Mbaka was employed as a junior staff member in 2015, primarily as a security operative.
His position was terminated after the managing director he was assigned to left office and the company outsourced its security operations.
Mr. Mbaka received a severance payment of ₦1.5 million and signed all necessary exit documents.
Despite this, he sought reinstatement and back payment of salaries.
The committee findings indicated that Mr. Mbaka’s employment was not statutorily protected adding that he had completed his exit process and accepted his severance package.
The Senate committee recommended rejecting Mr. Mbaka’s request for reinstatement, a decision adopted by the Senate.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised the Ethics Committee, led by Senator Imasuen, for its thorough investigations and dedication. He highlighted the Senate’s role as a platform for addressing the grievances of ordinary Nigerians and called for greater support to empower committees handling public petitions.
The Senate’s resolutions reaffirm its commitment to fostering accountability, fairness, and ethical governance in public service and corporate operations.