Commissioner Accuses FCC Chairman of Dodging House Committee Job Racketeering Probe

•Committee summons Chairman, 36 commissioners

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The House of Representatives investigating personnel recruitment, employment racketeering and gross mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System took another turn yesterday, as a Commissioner of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Moses Anaughe, accused his boss, the Chairman of the Commission, Muheeba Dankaka, of lying to a House Committee to avoid being probed.

Anaughe, who represents Delta State, during the Ad-hoc Committee’s investigative session, accused his boss of lying to the Committee that she was sick to avoid the investigation, adding that at the time of the investigative hearing, the Chairman was in her office.

Dankaka, had sent a team of Commissioners led by Armaya’u Abubakar, the Taraba State Commissioner, to represent her at the probe with the excuse that she was indisposed and had an appointment with her doctors.

Anaughe, who came in after the proceedings commenced, raised his hand to be identified and when he was acknowledged, bluntly told the committee that the Chairman’s representatives were lying and that she was in her office.

He further accused the Chairman of always giving excuses whenever she was called for a probe, but that, “If she wants to collect 10 per cent of employment from MDAs, the Chief Executive will go, so why is she not here?” Anaughe questioned.

Subsequently, one of the Commissioners who came in with Abubakar, said they never said she was in the hospital, but that she had a doctor’s appointment as she was ill.

However, the Chairman of the Committee, Yusuf Gagdi, demanded that the Chairman should appear today, following day, Wednesday, with all 36 Commissioners for the probe.

Consequently, the Commissioners were put under oath by the Committee before proceeding continued.

Abubakar, after the oath appealed that the committee give them till next Monday, for the Chairman to appear in person.

But Gagdi insisted they must appear on Wednesday, and accused Abubakar of being a liar.

 The Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, disclosed to members of the Committee that they did not have the nominal roll of staff on the IPPIS in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The Accountant General, who was represented by the Director, IPPIS, Mr. Emma Deko, at the investigative hearing, said they only had the nominal roll of staff of the IPPIS.

“We have a nominal roll of IPPIS staff. But not the nominal roll of all the MDAs. The MDAs all have their own nominal roll. But IPPIS, we have our own staff strength and those staff are posted to the department”

Chairman of the Committee, Yusuf Gagdi, was baffled that the IPPIS Directorate did not have comprehensive data on the staff on IPPIS.

“Assuming you are going to enroll staff recruited by other MDAs, you don’t have their records? You just go and capture them. You don’t keep the records of the staff of those MDAs that you pay their salaries.

“As Director of IPPIS if Agency A, B, C recruits staff, who enrols them in IPPIS, is it not you? Don’t you keep the records?”

However, the Ad hoc Committee summoned the Accountant General to appear in person to address the issues and also summoned to appear in person the Auditor General of the Federation, who also sent a representative to the hearing.

Gagdi, stressed that no stone would be left unturned in dealing with the problem of personnel recruitment, employment racketeering and the mismanagement of the IPPIS and further assured that the Committee will do a comprehensive job and that anyone found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Earlier at the beginning of the investigative session, the Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, said the Committee represents the House’s commitment to entrench transparency, efficiency and accountability in public service.

Represented by his deputy, Hon Benjamin Kalu, he said, “The matters before this Ad-hoc Committee represent the yearnings of Nigerian citizens, hence, must be treated with keen attention.

“The abuse of personnel recruitment and blatant employment racketeering destroys the essence of bureaucratic processes and leaves damaging implications. It affects the integrity of our institutions and distorts the aspirations of many citizens who seek competitive and fair opportunities.

“This negative practice is an affront to the Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution which provides the even distribution of our commonwealth in the spirit of federal character.

“The essence of this provision as explained in Section 318 (1) of the Constitution is to foster national loyalty, inclusiveness and to give every part of the country a sense of belonging. The issues this committee is to investigate negate this very noble intent of the drafters of our Constitution and cannot be overlooked in the spirit of national interest”