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 as 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 swift 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 are 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.