By Jerry Daks
The Commissioner, representing Nasarawa State in the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Barr Manman Alakai, has debunked allegations of receiving money to secure employment in MDAs from job seekers.
Alakai said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad- hoc committee probing job racketeering in Federal Government agencies in Abuja on Tuesday.
Musa Ibrahim one of the victims of job racketeering who appeared before the committee claimed he along with nine others paid million into Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim’s account .
He said Abdullahi acted as the linkman to the commissioner, representing Nasarawa State to collect money from job seekers willing to pay.
Meanwhile, Alakai in his defence before the committee said he knew the Abdullahi in question, but added that contrary to his claimed that he was his Personal Assistant, “he has never been my PA or work in FCC.”
Narrating his experience, he said, ” A traditional ruler in Nasarawa called to inform me that one of my PAs collected money from him for job slots.
” I asked that his number be tracked by the police and I discovered it was Ibrahim and I wrote a petition to the police and he was tracked.
” When they went to his house they discovered a uniform of correctional service, claiming he was working there, I was told that the people he defrauded have gone to court, ” he said.
He challenged the committee to investigate his account to ascertain the claim, saying ” my account is open for the committee to scrutinise since he claimed he paid money to me for job slots.”
Rep Yusuf Gagdi, the chairman of the committee said about nine people have evidence of a transfer made to Abdullahi Ibrahim.
He said that was why Alakai was invited to appear before the committee to give evidence since he claimed he was working for him.
Angered by the non appearance of Musa Ibrahim who made the allegations, the chairman said, “you can’t come and make public allegations against any public officer without coming to substantiate it.
“We have nothing to say to you further because the people making allegations are not here, if they are not acting a script, they should be here to give further evidence.
“If you cannot justify that you pay money for any job slots with evidence, we will not allow any citizens to blackmail people without facts, ” he said.
The chairman vowed never to call anyone to appear before it again in FCC, adding that the committee had established two things exist in FCC.
This according to him includes: accusations against chairman and selling of job slots among commissioners.
Other agencies that appeared to give accounts of recruitment in their agencies include: Corporate Affairs Commission, National Universities Commission, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commison among others.