Henry Umoru – Abuja

THE Senate said on Monday it would probe the alleged sales of Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) appointment letter for N3 million by the Federal Character Commission (FCC).

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character Commission and Inter-Governmental Affairs,   Senator Danjuma La’ ah, told journalists in Abuja the upper legislative chamber would get to the root of the matter.

He said the Committee has been inundated with reports of underhand dealings at the FCC.

The senator said: “Well, thank you for bringing the issue of job racketeering at the Federal Character Commission.

“The Senate Committee on Federal Character Commission has been investigating the matter and we are doing everything possible to unravel those behind sales of jobs there.

“I got reports from different people on sales of jobs going on at the Federal Character Commission (FCC). Appointment into government offices for sales at the Federal Character Commission is real.

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“Someone has forwarded to me a text which is on my phone that he purchased Nigeria Ports Authority job from the Federal Character Commission at N3 million.

“This is shocking. It makes my heart bleeds. I’m so sad and I am going to take drastic action in this case. If the Committee finds out this is what they have been doing, we are not going to take it lightly with them.

“No stone shall be left unturned in telling the whole country that the FCC is involved in job racketeering.

“There is a high unemployment rate in Nigeria.  People finished school and there is no job anywhere only for some people to be busy selling jobs.  Does it make sense?

“It’s an embarrassment to the society; it’s an embarrassment to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The President had earlier made a statement that he wants to make everybody enjoy his administration whatever it will take and hundreds of thousands of undergraduates will be given appointments.

“If the investigation we are doing confirms it to be true, we are not going to take it lightly.  We are gradually closing in on them.

“What I’m still proving is an allegation.  The Committee would do a detailed job and if it turns out to be true, we will take the appropriate action.”

Meanwhile, the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPRA), National Agency for Drugs and Food Administration (NAFDAC), Security Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal College of Education, Zaria, on Monday shunned investigation into their nominal rolls by the Senate Committee on FCC.

Vanguard