SSS begins probe of National Assembly clerk - Over forgery allegation

Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 30.05.2008

The Presidency has mandated the State Security Service (SSS) to probe the allegation that the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Nasiru Arab, falsified his service records.

Reports claimed that Arab, who joined the services of the Kaduna State government in 1972, was supposed to have retired in 2007 but did not because he said he job he got with the Kaduna State government in 1972 was an irregular one.

But provisions of the Pension Act 1974 states that all engagements either regular of contract will count in full for an employee when transferring to another paid job.

Although commissioners of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) were said to have discussed the issue shortly after newspapers published the story on Monday, it was discovered that the Commission was already in the know of the alleged forgery before the publication.

But a source said the alleged forgery might have been aided by some staff members of the commission, who were alleged to have recently doctored the CNA’s service record in the file to read that he started work in 1975 rather than the 1972 he earlier submitted.

But sources at the presidency told the Nigerian Tribune that the order to probe the forgery had already been deli-vered to the SSS.