- As FCC chairman battles allegations of ‘‘selling’ MDA jobs for N7 million each to jobseekers
For defrauding job seekers the sum of N11, 300, 000, three men have been arraigned before an Abakaliki Magistrates’ Court 1 in Ebonyi state capital.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Chidiebere Ndigwe, 46, Ikembuchukwu Donatus, 27, and Madu Chioma, 47 respectively are facing a two-count charge bothering on conspiracy/false pretence and fraud before the Chief Magistrate of Abakaliki, Mr Ojemba Isu-Oko.
Earlier in the week, social media was awash with news that the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Muheeba Farida Dankaka has been ”selling jobs” in federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
FCC commissioners made the allegations during the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating MDAs and parastatal and tertiary institutions on employment racketeering in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the charge against the alleged Ebonyi fraudsters read: “That you, the defendants and others now at large, between April and May, 2023, at National Obstetric Fistula Centre Abakaliki, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit Advance Fee Fraud.”
The Prosecutor, Insp. Bassey Okon told the court that the defendants committed the fraudulent act between April and May 2023. adding that the offence is punishable under section 8(a) of the advance fee fraud and other fraud-related Offences Act, CAP A6, Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2006.
He said the defendants also, on the same date and aforesaid place, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained a sum of N11,300,000 from job seekers.
He said some of the job seekers and victims included Ituma Margret, Agashi Azuka, Clement Agbo Stella and many others.
“The defendants promised to give them employment at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre, Abakalik, which is false,” he explained.
The defendants’ pleas were not taken to all the charges when they were read in court.
The defence counsel, Mr Azubuike Emebula, thereafter, moved for a bail application on behalf of his clients, which was opposed.
The Chief Magistrate, Isu-Oko, who rejected the bail application, said the court lacked the power to handle the case and adjourned the matter until Aug. 25.
On the Federal Character Commission (FCC) matter, the commissioners equally alleged that Ms Dankaka connived with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to stop a petition written against her on job racketeering by the commissioners.
“We petitioned the EFCC to investigate her, but to our dismay, nothing has been done. Jobseekers pay as low s N750,000 and as high as N7 million depending on the MDAs where the jobs are being sought. The money from the various accounts is transferred into the main account in Access Bank,” they told the committee.
The FCC commissioners who made the allegations included Abdulrasaq Adeoye (Osun), James Dan’iya (Kwara), Abdulwasiu Bawa-Allah (Lagos), Moses Anaughe (Delta), Mamman Alakayi (Nasarawa), among others.
They further alleged that the chairman often moved her son from one lucrative agency to another.
But in a swift reaction to the barrage of allegations, Ms Dankaka said, “When you fight corruption, corruption will fight back.”
The embattled FCC chair added, “I did not come to make money but to serve my fatherland. What some of them are looking for is money. Before I came here, I had made my money. Some of them have their reasons for attacking me. For instance, the Osun commissioner is always in my office. What they are accusing me of is not true.”
Ms Dankaka said before she assumed office in July 2020, all the commissioners were “selling jobs,” adding that her refusal to join the fray spurred their anger against her.
According to her, for instance, the commissioner representing Osun bought a property and told the person that he would repay with job slots.
According to her, this necessitated her letters to MDAs that they should not honour any letter from commissioners if they did not see her signature.
The FCC chairwoman said she refused their offer to compromise, adding that she would be the last person to sell jobs and that the commissioners were behind campaigns of calumny in the media and on social media.
On the issue of EFCC, she said the agency wanted to employ personnel and got the approval, adding that at no time did she compromise.
The house committee chair, Gagdi Yusuf, said the legislators would not be part of the politics of any agencies.
“We will do our job, and justice will be done,” stated Mr Gagdi.
He queried why documents relating to the commission’s activities in terms of employment would be allegedly missing.
(NAN)
