By Gift Chapi-Odekina

SOME commissioners in the Federal Character Commission, FCC, have accused the chairman of the commission, Mrs Farida Dankaka, of collecting money in dollars for jobs in federal Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs.

They made the allegations yesterday at the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating MDAs,  parastatal and tertiary institutions on employment racketeering in Abuja.

Some of the commissioners who made the allegations include Mr Abdulrasaq Adeoye, representing Osun State; James Dan’iya, Kwara State; Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah, Lagos State; Moses Anaughe, Delta State; and Barr. Mamman Alakayi, Nasarawa State, among others.

The commissioners in some documents submitted to the committee, also alleged that Dankaka often connived with MDAs to collect 10 per cent kickback for job offered.

They equally alleged that Dankaka connived with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to stop petition written against her on job racketeering by them.

“We petitioned the EFCC to investigate her but to our dismay, nothing has been done after the former chairman of the commission, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, met with her. “

They claimed that Dankaka’s sister was also used in job racketeering, while providing details of account numbers and bank statements job seekers made payments to.

The commissioners claimed that many of the job seekers who had paid could not get job as promised by Dankaka.

“When the jobs were not forthcoming, the victims reacted and the Department of State Services, DSS, had to be invited.

“Job seekers pay as low as N750, 000 and as high as N7 million, depending on the MDAs the jobs are being sought.

“The money from the various account are transferred into the main account in a new gegeration bank, owned by one Auwal Kundi, where the money is allegedly  changed into dollars  for alleged onward transfer to Dankaka,” the commissioners alleged

They alleged further that the chairman often moved her son from one agency to the other, adding that she initially secured a job for his son at the Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, and later transfered him to the Downstream Regulatory Commission.

The commissioners also alleged that the chairman had severally sold job slots to some Nigerians, saying she had canceled 24 employments initially offered to some Nigerians only to replace them with her own candidates.

In the document submitted to the panel, they claimed that the 24 people she replaced them with were now ghost workers.

Reacting to the allegations, Dankaka said:  “When you fight corruption, corruption will fight back.  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 came here, I had made my money, some of them have their reasons for attacking me.

For instance, Osun commissioner is  always in my office, what they are accusing me of is not true.”

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.

She said:  “For instance, the commissioner representing Osun State bought a property and told the person he will be paying with job slots.”

This, according to her, necessitated 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 offer to compromise, adding that she would be the last person to sell job.

Dankaka added 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 and that at no time did she compromise.

Chairman of the committee, Gagdi Yusuf, however, said the committee would not be part of politics of any agencies.

“We will do our job and justice will be done,” he said.

He queried why document relating to the activities of the commission in terms of employment would be  missing.

Consequently, the committee ask that the chairman submit all required documents and appear before it tomorrow and Monday, July 31, 2023.