The Missing Ministers And ₦2.5M Jobs: What Is Really Going On?

Minister of Works, David Umahi, along with senior officials from his ministry, has once again failed to respond to an invitation from the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.

Online sources say this reportedly marks the third time they have ignored summons related to grave accusations of job racketeering and abuse of office, specifically involving the sale of federal employment positions for as much as N2.5 million.

A source within the National Assembly, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, expressed deep frustration over what was described as a blatant attempt to undermine the authority of the parliament.

The source emphasized that the House Committee on Public Petitions has now threatened to proceed with the case even in the absence of:

• Minister Umahi, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, and,
• the Director of Human Resources,

if they fail to honor the latest summons addressing these serious allegations.

“The fourth summons has now been issued.

“They refused to honour the last three previous ones.

They were expected to appear last Wednesday, June 18, but they failed to show up so the House Committee issued a fresh summons on June 19,” the source revealed.

Continuing, the source remarked, “Their attitude shows they are hiding something.

“Governance is a continuous process, what has the minister done to look into the matter since he was first invited by the National Assembly?

“Except if the present Minister is trying to protect the former minister (who is a political ally) and the corrupt set of directors.”

The committee has now adjourned the public hearing to July 22, 2025, at 2:00 pm.

It has warned that if the top officials fail to appear once again, the Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions will issue a bench warrant for their arrest.

The fresh summons issued by the Committee states in part:

“Whereas the above-named petition is now pending before this Committee… YOU ARE HEREBY required to note Sections 88 and 89 (C) of our Constitution (as amended) and appear in person before this Committee on Tuesday, 22 July, 2025 at 2:00pm…

“AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you do not attend the hearing as required, the case may be heard or determined in your absence.”

Dated June 19, 2025, the summons was signed by the Committee Chairman and directed to the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary.

The Ministry is expected to submit one soft copy and 10 hard copies of its defense regarding the matter.

When reporters reached out to Uchenna Orji, Special Adviser to the Minister on Media, for a response, she dismissed the allegations.

She also shifted responsibility to a previous administration.

“That staff cannot drag the ministry over his self-inflicted imbroglio with the previous administration,” she stated.

This is not the first time the Ministry of Works has been accused of evading legislative oversight.

Journalists had earlier reported that Umahi and his team failed to attend a prior invitation on May 29, 2025.

This no-show provoked anger among committee members, who condemned the act as “administrative rascality.”

The ongoing investigation was sparked by a petition from a whistleblower, Martins Oghenerhoro Richard Atijegbe, an employee in the Ministry’s Human Resource Management Department.

Atijegbe alleged that senior ministry officials have been illegally:

• selling federal jobs for up to ₦2.5 million,
• issuing forged appointment letters, and rapidly enrolling recruits into the federal payroll system (IPPIS) within weeks—all in blatant disregard of due process.

He explained, “It is our director who collected the sum of N2.5 million from people, like selling a job to them, and within a month, he would issue fake documents and enrol them into IPPIS.”

Since exposing the scandal, Atijegbe claims he has faced severe persecution, with his life and job now at risk.

In a formal petition to the National Assembly, his lawyer, Liberty Semper Fidelis, accused the Ministry of fraud, conspiracy, abuse of office, and attempts at cover-up.

As the July 22 hearing approaches, the spotlight remains firmly on Minister Umahi and his team to respond to these damning allegations.

The House Committee’s firm stance signals that continued defiance will not be tolerated and that parliamentary authority will be enforced to uphold transparency and accountability in public service.

This unfolding saga highlights ongoing challenges in governance and the critical role of legislative oversight in combating corruption within Nigeria’s federal ministries.

The world watches as the Ministry of Works faces intense scrutiny, with the hope that justice and integrity will ultimately prevail.

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