By Uhuru Samuel, Jalingo
A civic group under the aegis of Gassol Development Frontier has petitioned Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, to launch a thorough investigation into serious allegations of employment racketeering and illegal sale of market stalls leveled against the Chairman of Gassol Local Government Area, Hon. Abubakar Saidu.
In a six-page petition signed by the group’s Chairman, Hamman Gidado, and Secretary, Abubakar Zelani, the group accused Hon. Saidu of orchestrating the sale of over 500 employment slots through a corrupt network involving his close associates. According to the petition, job seekers were allegedly charged between ₦350,000 and ₦500,000 per appointment letter — a scheme that has allegedly netted millions of naira since Saidu assumed office.
The group specifically named one Buhari Muhammed, described as the council chairman’s closest ally, as the middleman used to collect money from unsuspecting applicants. In one documented case, the petitioners claimed Buhari collected ₦700,000 from one Abbas Gashika in Jalingo for two employment slots for his sisters. After five months of waiting with no letters issued, Abbas reported the matter to the Jalingo Police Division, which allegedly forced Buhari to refund the money.
The petition also accused the chairman of orchestrating a purge of over 50 workers from the local government payroll, with their salaries allegedly siphoned off by the council leadership.
Furthermore, the group alleged that Hon. Saidu, in collusion with some officials at the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, was issuing employment letters to fill vacancies created by retirees, deceased workers, or those who resigned — all without due process.
In a separate allegation, the group claimed that the Chairman unilaterally sold 142 stalls at the Mararaba Gassol grain market for ₦250,000 each, bypassing market leadership and allegedly pocketing the proceeds. A similar scheme was said to have occurred at the Dananacha Yam Market, where approximately 500 stalls were reportedly sold at ₦120,000 each.
The petitioners urged Governor Kefas to set up an independent investigative panel to probe the allegations and, if proven, take swift action to remove and prosecute the chairman.
When contacted, Hon. Abubakar Saidu dismissed the accusations as baseless and politically motivated. He denied any involvement in illegal recruitment, payroll manipulation, or market stall sales.
“The local government has not recruited any staff, nor has it authorized anyone to collect money for employment. We are not aware of any names removed from the payroll,” he said. He also denied ever authorizing Buhari Muhammed to act on his behalf.