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FCC commissioners accuse Chairman of ”selling jobs” in dollars
Some commissioners in the Federal Character Commission (FCC), have accused the chairman of the commission, Mrs Farida Dankaka of ”selling jobs” in dollars in Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of Government.
The commissioners made the allegations during the House of Representatives Ad hoc committee investigating MDA and parastatal and Tertiary Institutions on employment racketeering in Abuja.
Some of the commissioners who made the allegations include: Mr Abdulrasaq Adeoye, FCC, commissioner, representing Osun, Mr James Dan’iya, representing Kwara.
Others are Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah, representing Lagos State, Mr Moses Anaughe, representing Delta, Mr Mamman Alakayi, representing Nasarawa among others.
The commissioners also alleged that Dankaka connived with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to stop petition written against her on job racketeering by the commissioners.
“We petitioned the EFCC to investigate her but to our dismay nothing has been done.
“Job seekers pay as low s N750, 000 and as high as N 7 million depending on the MDAs where the jobs are being sought.”
“The money from the various accounts are transferred into the main account in Access bank.
The commissioners alleged that the chairman often moved her son from one lucrative agencies to the other
In a sweift reaction to the barrage of allegations, Dankaka said, “when you fight corruption, corruption will fight back, ” adding that this is what is happening at the commission.
“I did not come to make money, but to serve my father land, what some of them are looking for is money, before I come here, I have made my money, some of them have their reasons for attacking me.
“For instance, Osun commissioners is always in my office, what they are accusing me of is not true, ” she said.
Dankaka said before she came into office in July 2020, all the commissioners were selling jobs, adding that her refusal to join the fray spurred their anger against her.
According to her, for instance, the commissioner representing, Osun bought a property and told the person that he will be paying with job slots.
This according to her necesitated her letters to MDAs that if they do not see her signature , they should not honour any letter from any commissioner.
The chairman said she refused their offered to compromise, adding that she would be the last person to sell job., adding that the commissioners were behind all the campaign of calumny in the media and on social media.
On the issue of EFCC, she said the agency wanted to employ personnel and got the approval, adding that at no time did she compromise.
Rep Gagdi Yusuf, the chairman of the committee however said that the committee would no be part of politics of any agencies, “we will do our job and justice will be done. “
He queried why document relating to the activities of the commission in terms of employment would be said to have been missing.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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