For over a month running, an Ad hoc committee of the House of Representatives has been investigating alleged cases of job racketeering in federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), and also reported abuse of the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS). JOSHUA EGBODO reviews the journey so far
Job seekers as goldmine?
To analysts, revelations which have been emanating through the ongoing investigation into job racketeering in federal MDAs may not be anything new, as there have been several unreported cases of exploitation of innocent job seekers. Cases of connivance with fraudsters by government officers were rife, as vulnerable Nigerians pay hugely in bribes for both existing, and in most cases, non-existing jobs.
To such concerned pundits, despite the hardship being faced by Nigerians, and high level of unemployment in the country, some unscrupulous staff of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government have been extorting desperate job seekers in millions of naira.
The disturbing scenario necessitated a resolution of the House of Representatives, giving mandate to the now Adamu Yusuf Gagdi-led Ad hoc committee, which has been sitting over the matter until date, with a lot of damning revelations, which were hitherto, not in the public domain for.
The FCC saga
At takeoff of the ongoing investigation, it was discovered that some top staff of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), an agency charged with the responsibility of ensuring fairness, equity transparency and accountability in the distribution of vacancies in federal MDAs was deeply involved in the alleged racketeering, in defiance of its mandate of ensuring fair distribution of slots.
Though the panel is still sitting, with its recommendations expected at the end, many followers have comfortably inferred that there had been a gross violation of the FCC Act by the top management of the agency through indiscriminate granting of employment waivers to MDAs, lopsided employment in most agencies and outright extortion and sale of job slots to vulnerable job seekers.
The shocking revelation from the FCC came to the fore when an erstwhile IPPIS desk officer at the agency, Mr. Haruna Kolo who was accused of collecting monies from people to offer them jobs confessed that he had collected over N75 million from applicants on the instruction of the FCC chairman, Dr. Farida Dankaka.
Kolo, who is at the moment, believed to have gone into hiding told the committee that the FCC chairman, Dankaka instructed him to collect the money through his personal Ecobank account and pay to her in cash, which he claimed he did at several meetings at her house.
“When she (Dankaka) came to Federal Character as the executive chairman, she appointed me as a protocol officer, which I carried out my duty diligently. On the allegations of job racketeering, the FCC chairman instructed me to liaise with one Mr Shehu who is a personal driver and PA to the Taraba state commissioner.
”As a desk officer, I’m responsible for taking whoever is employed to IPPIS for capturing. No one can go there without a letter from the chairman or Human Resource Officer of the FCC.
“When she came, she wrote a letter to the Accountant General, instructing that no letter from FCC should be honoured unless she signed the letter. So, whenever there was new employment, she signs, give them to me and I take them to the Accountant General’s office for capturing.
“Shehu is the one that brought those who paid money to my account for jobs, some paid 1 million, others 1.5 million all to my personal account, my Ecobank account.
She asked me to give cash to her, which I did through POS so there is no evidence of transfer or anything. On the allegation of working at seven places, I was never at any time involved in seven jobs, they are making the allegation based on the assumption’, he stated.
On his movement to AMCON, Kolo disclosed that “my subsequent employment at AMCOM, was a result of her (Dankaka’s) personal favour to me, we were four in number, and she gave the appointment letter to myself, Kadijah, and Olusola. We all proceeded for an interview at AMCON headquarters in Abuja after which we were called upon for training on the 16th January 2023, after the training, I and Olusola were called to Lagos.
“Unfortunately, Kadijah, who is the chairman’s biological sister, was rejected, the chairman accused me of being responsible for her rejection. I see no reason why the chairperson will make allegations of such magnitude to my humble self. I have been threatened even at gunpoint and had to leave Abuja. Sir, I want this committee to know that after this sitting if anything happens to me, the FCC chairperson should be held responsible,” he stated.
Chairman of the panel, Gagdi followed up with the disclosure that the committee have obtained the bank statements of Mr Kolo and flagged some names that made suspicious transfers to the account and have been summoned. He said one Gbadamosi Jalo made several transfers to Mr Kolo.
“In Haruna Kolo’s account, we saw transactions linked to Ishau Gambo, a driver linked to the Taraba commissioner. We have no reason other than to invite the Taraba Commissioner. We called him with Abubakar, the PA to the commissioner.
Gbadamosi Jalo featured prominent, including some candidates who got the job through racketeering,” he said.
In his testimony, Jalo told the committee under oath that he paid N1.2 million into the account of Mr Kolo and was offered employment with the FCC. He stated that he was subsequently enrolled on the IPPIS and was receiving his salary. He informed the committee that following the success of his employment, he was urged by Kolo to get other job seekers that are ready to pay. He told the committee that he got about ten persons who paid through him. According to Jalo, most candidates who came through him were recruited at the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR).
Jalo said he met Mr Kolo through Ishayu Gambo, a driver to Taraba State commissioner. “I met Haruna Kolo through Ishau Gambo. We did our IPPIS on 14th October 2021. I started receiving my salary the next month November. Based on that, I had confidence. Kolo told me to look for additional people. He also told me that there would be another recruitment, when they paid money into my account,” he said.
Similarly, Musa Ibrahim also testified before the committee, claiming that he facilitated the payment of money to the account of Abdulahi Ibrahim, allegedly an aide to Mamman Ankayi, the FCC Commissioner from Nasarawa State. He presented evidence of payments to the committee and alleged that Mr Ibrahim was arrested, but the commissioner facilitated his release. “Abdullahi Ibrahim was a scam; we got him arrested at a point, “he said.
Again, Abdulmalik Ahmed and Ali Yaro both victims of alleged job racketeering at the FCC said they paid N1 million and N2 million respectively for job placement in the FCC.
Allegations denied
In her defence against the allegations by Kolo, the FCC chairman, Dr. Farida Dankaka swore with God and the Holy Qu’ran that she never collected money from Kolo, insisting that she has never instructed her former subordinate 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 collect 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 Qu’ran let it be destroyed.
Also, Mamman Alakai, the commissioner representing Nasarawa state in the FCC, who was equally mentioned denied collecting money to secure employment for job seekers.
Musa Ibrahim one of the potential beneficiaries had told the committee that he, alongside nine other persons, paid millions into the account of a linkman to Alakai, identified as Abdullahi Ibrahim.
But the commissioner during his appearance before the committee said he had never received money from anyone for a job offer. “A traditional ruler in Nasarawa called to inform me that one of my aides collected money from him for job slots. I asked that the number be tracked by the police and I discovered it was Ibrahim. I wrote a petition to the police and he was traced.
“When they went to his house, the police found a uniform of the Nigerian Correctional Service. He claimed that he worked there. I was told that the people he defrauded have gone to court. Alakai asked the committee to carry out an investigation into his bank account, saying “My account is open for the committee to scrutinise since Ibrahim claimed he paid money to me for job slots”.
But the new twist
A new twist was added to the ongoing investigation, when last week, an online newspaper reported that it had uncovered extortion practices by some members of the Gagdi-led panel, demanding bribes from MDAs in order to give them soft landing. Specifically, heads of federal government owned tertiary education institutions were named as those approached under the alleged underhand arrangement. A dedicated bank account was reportedly provided for the bribe money to be paid into.
Committee absolved
However, in their separate appearances before the panel last week, Rectors of Federal Polytechnics and Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities, as well as the National Universities Commission (NUC), openly denied any knowledge of the said bribery allegation.
Chairman of the Committee of Federal Polytechnics’ Rectors, Engr Yahaya Mohammed who spoke on behalf of the polytechnic rectors present at the resumed hearing last Thursday said they had at no time interfaced with any member of the panel, and also denied being given any account number for that purpose.
Mohammed, who is also the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State, said “This is our first time of interfacing with the committee. All of us came into Abuja yesterday. Chairman, we are not in receipt of any account number or account name by any member of this committee. I will say under oath that we have not received any account number from any member of this committee”.
Vice Chancellor, University of Jos, Prof. Ishaya Tanko who spoke on behalf of the Vice Chancellors when they appeared before the committee last Friday also said to his best of knowledge, money that were sent by some Vice Chancellors was meant for a foreign exchange for them to attend international workshop organised for them in Bamingham, the United Kingdom beginning from Tuesday, September 5, adding that the publisher did not get his facts correct. “During our last meeting, we requested for two weeks because some of the universities did not come with some of the documents required from them. But we read the very disturbing media publication, and I can say that the Vice Chancellors are not part of that. The Vice Chancellors have not provided any bribe to anybody”.
ICPC to the rescue?
The visibly angry chairman of the investigating committee, Gagdi disclosed last Friday that he had personally written a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and related offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate the contentious bank account as presented in the media report, and unveil the owner as well as any possible link to any member of his committee. He also assured that the panel will not be distracted from its original focus, to unveil the alleged rot in the public service recruitment system, and to address the wrongs therein.
Nigerians are therefore waiting patiently for the ICPC, as requested by Gagdi, to expose the possible mole(s) rooted in, and bent on greedily tarnishing the image of the panel.
