***Accuses Chairman of threatening his life
By Jerry Daks
A former staff of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) Haruna Kola, who was allegedly indicated for job racketeering on Monday told the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee
that job applicants in the commission paid millions of naira into his personal account for onward transmission to the Chairman, Farida Dankaka.
He equally told the Committee that he approached the Point of Sale Service (POS) agents to collect the money in cash to deliver to the chairman in her House.
This was just as the Committee uncovered a total of N75 million in Kolo’s account in Access Bank, UBA and Eco bank as a proceed of job racketeering and
Kolo disclosed this when he appeared before the Committee probing job racketeering in Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies of Government in Abuja on Monday alongside all the Commission Chairman and Commissioners .
The committee is also probing mismanagement of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS) in MDAs
Kolo who is now work with the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) said Dankaka appointed him as her chief protocol while he was serving in FCC, adding that he saw the allegation against him in the media regarding job racketeering.
He said some of those who came to seek for job in the commission pay as much as between N1 million and N5 million depending on the MDAs.
Kolo said he had never been involved in selling job but added that he only act on the instruction of Dankaka who is always receiving the money in cash.
According to him, she often gives me verbal instruction in respect of people paying for job and lodgement which after collecting the agreed amount, it will be sent to my account which I subsiquently cashed to remit the money
Kolo said his redeployment to AMCON was not without the knowledge of the chairman of the commission, saying, “my going to AMCON was her personal favour to me and others that left FCC at the time. ”
He however accused the chairman of going after him after her sister was rejected at AMCON due to age factor adding that the sister in question was already 51 years at the time she was given the job at AMCON.
Kolo said he has been receiving several calls threatening his life, while seeking protection from the committee, saying ” anything that happens to me, the FCC chairman should be held responsible.”
He also said contrary to the Chairman’s claimed that FCC had not carried out recruitment exercise since assumed office, Kolo said it was a lie.
He added that as a desk officer of IPPIS in FCC, the commission carried out recruitment exercise because “I am the desk officer of IPPIS for FCC and over 300 letters employment were issued but those captured by FCC were few.”
in a swift reaction to Kolo’s allegations, Dankaka said she did not collect any money from Kolo as alleged, adding that it was a conspiracy between him and the other commissioners to tarnish her image.
Disturbed by the barraged of allegations, Dankaka immediately brought out a copy of Holy Qur’an, swearing if she ever collected any money from Kolo as a proceed of job racketeering.
According to her, I have never asked him to collect money from job seekers for me.
Responding to the issues raised, Rep Gagdi, the Chairman of the committee told Kolo, that the committee was in possession of an evidence that Kolo has N38.5 million in his account, which was withdrew from POS.
He said a total of N75 million was in Kolo’s account in Access Bank, UBA and Eco bank as a proceed of job racketeering
Kolo is serving as a front for collecting money for job recruitments in the commission as against the service, financial regulation and the extant law.
“The record I have about your account you don’t even have, the record of your service I have. We are not giving any judgement in FCC, we are still investigating.
“This committee will have to be judicial in nature. We knew why we asked Kolo to give us evidence. We must come out straight, we aren’t even talking about racketeering in other MDAs.
“Kolo you are not supposed to leave here without being arrested. As a civil servant, you are not supposed to have such huge amount in your account. ”