Job Sales: Reps Place Media Ban On FCC Chair, Commissioners

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – With stunning revelations taking the centre stage of its ongoing public sitting, the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating employment fraud and gross abuse of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in the country has barred top officials of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) speaking to the media on the probe.

The ban was issued by the Committee Chairman, Yusuf Gagdi, at their resumed on Monday after the lawmakers quizzed Haruna Kolo, a former Protocol Officer to the embattled FCC Chairman, Muheeba Dankaka, and also took testimonies from some Commissioners accused of sharp practices at its resumed investigative hearing on Monday.

Gagdi told the FCC delegation, comprising both the pro and anti-Dankaka groups, that the Committee has resolved that henceforth, the Chairman, Secretary, and Commissioners, must refrain from granting media interviews so as not to “pre-empt our investigation”.

According to the Ad-hoc Committee, which is investigating Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), parastatals, and tertiary institutions on mismanagement of personnel recruitment, employment racketeering, and gross mismanagement of the IPPIS; “Federal Character, please allow us to do justice, including the Chairman, Secretary, nobody from Federal Character should address the press on the pending investigation.”

This is as Chairman Gagdi also vowed that the Committee will not sit back and watch taxpayers’ money being misappropriated or stolen by public officials who ordinarily are expected to hold their positions in trust for all Nigerian citizens.

Specifically responding to the submissions made by the ex-Protocol Officer Kolo, the Committee Chairman said; “In the speech I read, I didn’t see the relationship between selling this and selling that. I was very clear. I know why we were asking Kolo to give us evidence and we know why we were deferring this sitting for other witnesses that are alleged to have had financial dealings with Federal Character Commission.

“Kolo appears here tomorrow. We are calling the other witnesses. We will allow you to do your work. Whoever is found wanting will answer his father’s name, including Kolo Haruna. Kolo, I am not saying anything will happen to you but by law, you are not supposed to leave here without being arrested.”

Obviously, clearing the air on having Kolo arrested given his statement under oath before the lawmakers, Gagdi stated that such a move would not be out of place, “For a civil servant that has over 30-something million Naira in his account and also admitted publicly of serving as a front to aid corruption. So, I am quiet, I think and I don’t want to take you up on that because we don’t want to be seen to be sentimental. We want to protect you as much possible to get evidence against you and against others,” Gagdi said.

Earlier in his response to the lawmakers’ questioning, Kolo said, being the Protocol Officer to the FCC’s Chairman, he collected and warehoused various sums ranging between N1 million and N1.5 million for his boss from individual applicants before he eventually quit the Commission.

According to him; “On the allegations of job racketeering, the FCC chairman instructed me to liaise with one Mr Shehu, who is a personal driver and PA to the Taraba State Commissioner. As a Desk Officer, I am responsible to take whoever is employed to IPPIS for capturing. No one can go there without a letter from the Chairman or Human Resource Officer of the FCC.

“When she came, she wrote a letter to the Accountant General instructing that no letter from FCC should be honored unless she signed the letter. So, whenever there were new employees, she signs, gives them to me and I take them to the Accountant-General’s office for capturing.”

Continuing his testimony before the Committee, Kolo further alleged thus; “Shehu is the one that brought those who paid money to my account for a job, some paid 1 million, others 1.5 million all to my personal account, my Eco bank account. She asked me to give cash to her which I did through PoS so there is no evidence of transfer or anything”.

Informing the lawmakers that his move over to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) was the FCC Chairman’s personal favour to him and four others, hence not fraudulent as alleged, Kolo said; “I see no reason why the Chairperson will make allegations of such magnitude against my humble self.”

However, Kolo told the Committee that given the current inquest into the Commission’s activities, he was now afraid for his life, saying; “I have been threatened even at gunpoint and had to leave Abuja. Sir, I want this Committee to know that after this sitting if anything happens to me, the FCC Chairperson should be held responsible”.

Given the opportunity by the Committee to respond to Kolo’s allegations, the FCC boss, Dankaka said she was swearing by God and the Holy Qu’ran to the fact that no monetary transaction(s) ever occurred between her and Kolo, denying that she ever instructed him to collect and keep money on her behalf.

Hear her; “I swear with Almighty God and with this Qu’ran. Thank God the Secretary brought this Qu’ran. If I ever collect one Naira from this Kolo, may Almighty destroy what I worked for. If I have ever in my life asked him to go and collect one Naira from anybody with the Qu’ran, let it be destroyed.”

Further dismissing the allegations as a conspiracy and cheap blackmail by some persons to tarnish her hard-earned image, Dankaka said; “I have not set my eyes on this Kolo since December. I don’t know the driver that they are talking about. I have never set eyes on the driver. He said he comes to my house to give me money, he does not come to my house to give me money.”