Reps come under fire over handling of MDAs, FCC probe

Over 100 Civil Society Organisations, under the aegis of Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Activists, have asked the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, Parastatals and Tertiary Institutions on the mismanagement of personnel racketeering and the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System IPPIS, to act within the bounds of professionalism. In a statement in Abuja, Coordinator of the coalition, Ishaya Isa Saka and spokesperson, Bamidele Akanbi objected to claims by one Haruna Kolo that he served as a conduit for the chairperson of the Federal Character Commission FCC, and also condemned what they described as “shoddy treatment meted out to the Executive Chairperson of the Federal Character Commission FCC, Dr Muyeebat Dankaka.” Saka said the issue has taken the twist of a witch-hunt because the FCC has been hand-picked with different stories emanating from the commission as a result of a gang-up of some Commissioners and a disgruntled former staff, Haruna Kolo.

According to him, it was uncharitable for the Committee to continue to grant media interviews in an attempt to soil the image of the FCC boss when the investigation was still ongoing and when the committee barred Dr Dankaka from exercising her rights to media access. The coalition wondered why the Ad-hoc Committee did not take notice of some Federal Commissioners from the South West, who reportedly tried to ambush Kolo when he arrived the premises of the National Assembly Complex and the subtle threats against Kolo. Part of the statement reads; “The attention of over 100 frontline anti-corruption civil society organisations (CSOs) comprising of rights activists and media executives, has been drawn to the unprofessional manner that the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Parastatals and Tertiary Institutions on Mismanagement of Personnel Racketeering and alleged Gross Mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) chaired by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi has carried on.

“That the employment racketeering midwifed by Haruna Kolo took place before Dr Dankaka assumed office and that Kolo as protocol officer did not work directly under the FCC Chairperson but with other commissioners under the IPPIS scheme. The organisations raised serious objections and alarm on what they referred to as ‘the shoddy treatment meted out to the Executive Chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Dr Muyeebat Dankaka.’ We call on the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee to toe the line of professionalism and stop this with-hunt and media trial of Dr Dankaka forthwith for she has the right to protect her office against savages and hawks who are vehement in sharing the so-called National Cake among themselves.”