Some staff of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and Commissioners have accused a group of Commissioners in the Commission of using blackmailing method to force the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee that probed activities of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to release its report.
Reacting to a report published in the Daily Trust newspaper, the staff and Commissioners who spoke with this medium described the renegade Commissioners of orchestrating and influencing the report.
Absolving the Chairman of the Commission, Dr Muheebah Dankaka of any wrong doing, they advised the Commissioners to wait for the release of the report rather than blackmailing the Committee.
“This woman (Dr Dankaka) has done so much to reposition this Commission and rid it of job racketeering but corruption will always fight back,” a staff of the Commission told our correspondent on Monday, 20 November, 2023.
“Madam has improved the welfare of workers and enhanced our working conditions but they’re not happy with her because she had put a stop to their job racketeering scheme.
“They took the matter to the House, why don’t they allow the Committee to release its report. They want to blackmail the Committee members but they’ve failed,” a senior staff told this medium.
One of the Commissioners from the Southwest region accused the aggrieved Commissioners of trying to blackmail the Committee members.
“They were the ones who brought the former staff named Haruna Kolo to come and tell lies against the Chairman.
“The fact that Kolo is on the run is a testimony to the fact that he came to give false testimony at the sitting of the Committee.
“We’ve it on good authority that Kolo Haruna was promised huge sum of money by the group to come and tell lies against the Chairman, but their bubbles have been burst.
“Kolo has been declared wanted. He admitted collecting money for job slots and subsequent testimonies pointed accusing fingers at him while Dr Dankaka was exonerated,” the Commissioner said.
Another Commissioner from the south east region told this medium that Dr Dankaka has nothing to hide or fear.
“She went to the Commission and presented fact-based testimony and the records are there.
“It’s a lie, we’ve not passed a vote of No Confidence on the Chairman. We’re with her all the time and we hold our sessions regularly.
“We also go on inspection regularly while our allowances are paid as at when due,” the Commissioner said.
Another Commissioner who spoke with this medium accused some Commissioners as being the arrowhead of the Campaign of Calumny against the Chairman.
“They were the one who brought Haruna Kolo to come and give false testimony. He was seen moving around with them about 48 hours before the sitting of the Commission. They promised to give Kolo huge money but they have not fulfilled the promise as Kolo’s lies were exposed at the sitting. Kolo not only indicted himself, subsequent testimonies indicted him but absolved the FCC Chairman,” he said.
According to the Commissioner, the disgruntled Group are only five in number.
“They’re only five in number and they’re disgruntled because the Chairman is hell bent on driving the Commission to greater heights. She’s determined to improve the standard of the Commission and she’s doing that. It’s those who don’t want the progress of the Commission that are against her and they’re only five out of the 36 Commissioners,” he said.
Another Commissioner from the North Central told our correspondent that the disgruntled Commissioners lied about the list of Commissioners who signed the so-called Vote of No Confidence.
“It’s a big lie. The list they’re presenting is the attendance list at our Plenary Session. They retrieved the attendance register and lied that the Commissioners on the list signed the Vote of No Confidence. Nothing can be further from the truth,” the Commissioner said.
Investigations by this medium revealed that Kolo has been sending emissaries to Dankaka seeking forgiveness.
Our correspondent learnt that one of the prominent personalities sent by Kolo to beg Dr Dankaka was a prominent traditional ruler in the North.
But our correspondent learnt further that Kolo is still a wanted man with the House of Representatives Committee having issued a warrant for his arrest after failing thrice to honour the invitation of the Committee to come and clarify his earlier testimony and allegations levelled against him by his victims whom he collected money from for job slots.
Further investigations have revealed that one of the Commissioners from the south east is currently battling identity falsification. “Very soon, she will explain to security agents why the name on certificates are different from the documents she submitted at the Commission,” sources told our correspondent.
All efforts to speak with the FCC Chairman by our correspondent proved abortive. She was reported to be having a very crucial meeting when our correspondent visited.
“This woman is super. She’s very resilient, resourceful and diligent. I marvel at how she has been able to raise the standard of the Commission the way she had done despite all she is facing from the recalcitrant Commissioners.
“She is a woman of real strong character. I doff my hat for her. Her opponents thought they can intimidate her because she’s a woman but she really has strong character.
“I know that Almighty God is with her and I pray that He continues to be with her because she really has noble and progressive intentions for this Commission,” our correspondent heard a female staff discussing with another staff at the entrance of the Commission headquarters as he made his way out of the premises.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
