Oyo removes 866 from payroll for fake trade test certificate

In continuation of the Oyo State staff verification exercise, 866 personnel spread across the public and civil service have been removed from the payroll.

Those affected are those auto technicians, mechanics, drivers, plumbers, electricians, radio mechanics, carpenters bricklayers found to have fake trade test certificate.

The list of those affected include 483 staff of local governments and others in institutions, core civil service, colleges, tertiary institutions, Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The trade test certificate is issued and regulated by the Federal Ministry of Works to those persons who attend technical colleges, towards professionalising technicians’ practice.

The concerned categories of workers were seen on Thursday, conversing in twos and threes about the fate of their colleagues.

Speaking on the development, state Head of Service, Mr Soji Eniade said the onus lied on the affected persons to prove whether their certificates were not fake.

Especially, he noted that many of the affected persons were found not to have sat for the three stages of the trade test.

“866 persons cutting across the civil and public service are out of service because they found to have fake trade test certificate. The trade test is in three stages and majority of them did not sit for the exam. The onus is on them to explain that their certificate is not fake from their issuing authority.”

“If they could prove that their certificate is not fake, they will be reinstated. Government is giving them the opportunity to prove themselves. They should go back to the source of their certificate and confirm,” Eniade said.

Tribune Online gathered that the next stage of the ongoing verification and re-verification exercise of the state government will see a biometric verification of pensioners.

This stems from the ongoing sensitisation of pensioners at treasury cash offices on the imperativeness of the exercise.