By Saeed Ahmad Bappah & Yunusa Isa, Gombe

In an effort to bring more sanity to Gombe State Government under the leadership of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for his zero tolerance to indiscipline and corruption, the Executive Chairman Gombe State Urban Planning and Development Authority (GOSUPDA), Alhaji Bappayo Samanja Mauɗo has approved the dismissal of two staff from the authority for indiscipline and corruption.

They are Ibrahim Abubakar Bage; Higher Technical Officer (Estate) on grade level 08, and Giɗaɗo Salisu (guard man) on grade level 06 who are found wanting for bribery and indiscipline.

The dismissal of the duo followed a long evidence based investigation by the management led by the Executive Chairman in collaboration with the duped clients.

According to the chairman “This was not the first time Bage was found wanting especially in collecting money on building sites from individuals who supposed to pay into government accounts as revenue”.

Bappayo Mauɗo said despite the awareness campaigns in the media for people to reach out to GOSUPDA and get their bills payable into government account, many have resorted to offering bribe to unscrupulous elements in the authority to facilitate the development of their projects.

The chairman said considering the efforts and support received from the state’s governor to protect the rights and entitlements of all staff, there’s no reason whatsoever a staff will engaged in such dastard attitudes.

He maintained that henceforth, any staff found wanting, collecting money from clients on sites, will automatically get dismissed from office.

The chairman sent a strong warning to all GOSUPDA staff that, “There’s no sacred cow, anybody found wanting will be dealt with without fear or favour as directed by his Excellency, the Governor of Gombe State Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya”.

He said no person, agency or government is entitled to collecting development levies in Gombe State apart from GOSUPDA, warning that anyone found culpable will face the full wrath of the law.

Ibrahim Abubakar Bage was found wanting for conniving with a Gombe Local Government staff in extorting ₦120,000 from some unsuspecting business men in Gombe Main Market.

The business men on their efforts to develop some shops, intended to pay their dues payable to the state government, but ended up being lured and deceived by the unpatriotic staff.

The dou used the opportunity to dupe the business men, and granted them illegal permission to continue with the project, and failed to remit the undercharged fee to the state government coffers.

On its weekly operation tours to ensure compliance with the state’s development guidelines under the executive chairman, GOSUPDA ordered a “Stop and Report” instruction on the project, and equally invited the owners for due compliance.

On honoring the authority’s invitation, the project owners under the leadership of Alhaji Ahmad Shu’aibu Sarkin Kifi, informed the executive chairman that on their quest to making the right payment for the development, the two officials collected the sum of ₦120,000 on behalf of GOSUPDA, but cornered same for their personal gain.

On making the payment, the business men requested for receipt as evidence of payment, but the dou couldn’t produce any, to the time when the authority put the stop and report mark on the project.

Ahmad Sarkin Kifi appreciated the intervention of the executive chairman, assuring that henceforth, they are going to make payments for any development levy directly to the state government.

On the other hand, Giɗaɗo Salisu has during a meeting with the executive chairman on the need for staff to desist from collecting bribes from clients as development levy, openly insisted that they shall never stop.

The chairman said with Giɗaɗo and his likes in the authority, GOSUPDA and indeed the state government are bound to collapse, considering the facts that they are undermining the economic fortunes of the state and its citizens.