Job Racketeering: Reps stop FCC from briefing journalists
..says it will obstruct investigations
By Tom Okpe
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee, investigating job racketeering and gross mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, (IPPIS) in Nigeria has asked the Federal Character Commission, (FCC) not to address journalists about the probe until it is completed.
Chairman of the Committee,Yusuf Gagdi stated this at the resumed hearing of the panel on Monday, when it grilled Haruna Kolo, a former Protocol Officer to the FCC Chairman, Muheeba Dankaka and some commissioners.
Gagdi said: “No Commissioner should address the press. Don’t preempt our investigation. Federal Character please allow us to do justice, including the Chairman, Secretary, nobody from Federal Character should address the press on the pending investigation.”
He said the Committee will not allow taxpayers money to be embezzled but, will be careful in indicting people as other actors wanted.
“I said in the speech I read, I didn’t see relationship between selling this and selling that. I was very clear. I know why we were asking Kolo to give us evidence and we know why we were deferring this sitting for other witnesses that are alleged to have had financial dealings with Federal Character.
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“Kolo, appear here tomorrow. We are calling the other witnesses. We will allow you to do your work.
“Whosever is found wanting will answer his father’s name, including Kolo Haruna. Kolo, I am not saying anything will happen to you but by law you are not supposed to leave here without being arrested.
“For a civil servant that has thirty something million in his account and admitted publicly that you are serving as a front to aid corruption.
“I am quiet, I think, I don’t want to take you up on that because we don’t want to be seen to be sentimental,” Gagdi said.
Kolo told the lawmakers that he had being collecting between N1 million to N1.5 million for the chairman from individual applicants when he was working in the commission.
He said: “The FCC Chairman instructed me to liaise with one Shehu who is a personal driver and PA to the Taraba state commissioner. As a desk officer, am responsible to take whoever is employed to IPPIS for capturing.
“No one can go there without a letter from the Chairman or Human Resource officer of FCC.
“Shehu is the one that brought those who paid monies to my account for job, some paid 1million others 1.5 million all to my personal account my Eco Bank account. She asked me to give cash to her which I did through POS so, there is no evidence of transfer or anything.”
Responding, Dankaka swore to God, using the Holy Qu’ran that she never collected money from Kolo and instructed him to collect money on her behalf.
“I swear with Almighty God, I am with this Qu’ran. Thank God the Secretary brought this Qu’ran. If I ever collected one Naira from this Kolo, may Almighty destroy what I worked for.
“If I have ever in my life, asked him to go and collect one Naira from anybody, with this Qu’ran, let me be destroyed,” she said.
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