Alleged forgery: Court adjourns OGFZA Staff’s arraignment till Nov 1

The arraignment of two staff members of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA) over allegations bordering on forgery suffered a setback on Tuesday due to the absence of the first defendant in court.

The two OGFZA officials, Mr Wasiu Sule, the Head of Legal Services and Secretary to OGFZA’s Board, and Mr Alenju Ngofa, the Head of Human Resources of the organisation, who are the first and second defendants, are accused of forgery and falsification of documents.

When the matter came up on Tuesday for arraignment, the court was informed of the demise of the first defendant.

In view of this development, the court adjourned the matter till November 1, 2023, for mention and arraignment.

OGFZA and the nominal complainant, Olufunmilayo David Omosule, had been locked in a legal battle over the legality or otherwise of his suspension following his petition against some management staff of the agency over alleged corruption.

Omosule had alleged that the defendants willfully and maliciously distorted his records “to appear as though he does not possess any requisite qualification to be employed at OGFZA or any qualification at all to be considered for promotion.”

The agency had, via a letter dated April 18, 2011, suspended Omosule as the manager of its Abuja office on the grounds that he refused to comply with its letter dated December 3, 2010, which had directed him to present the originals of his credentials for verification.

Omosule, however, refuted the claim of the authority, stating that he made available to the organisation Certified True Copies (CTCs) of his educational certificates and credentials, including GCE ‘O Level and degree certificates, as instructed.

He claimed that the originals of his credentials were misplaced in untraceable circumstances as of 2010 when the request to submit them was made and averred that the CTCs of his certificates submitted to the agency were certified by the issuing institutions, which included the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the University of Ado-Ekiti, then Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti, respectively.

The claimant is therefore seeking a declaration that he is still a staff member of the organisation and entitled to all the rights, privileges, and benefits due to him because of his employment.

He is praying to the court for an order directing the defendants to reinstate him to the position of director on grade level 17, a position he claims his contemporaries currently hold, as well as an order directing the agency to pay all his outstanding salaries, benefits, and entitlements since 2011.

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