Reps summon FCC chair for ‘feigning sickness’ to evade panel invitation

There was a mild drama on Tuesday at a sitting of the house of representatives committee when some of the commissioners from the Federal Character Commission (FCC) accused Muheeba Dankaka, the executive chairperson, of evading the invitation by the lawmakers.  

The ad hoc committee is investigating ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), parastatals, and tertiary institutions on personal recruitment, employment racketeering, and the management of the integrated payroll and personnel information system (IPPIS).

Armaya’u Abubakar, FCC federal commissioner representing Taraba state, told the panel that Dankaka asked him to stand in for her because she was “indisposed” and has a medical appointment with a doctor.

“That is why she has dedicated us (federal commissioner from Taraba, Bayelsa, Abia, Gombe, Anambra, Niger) and me to be with the leader of this delegation to make a presentation,” Abubakar said.

Wole Oke, a member of the committee from Osun, raised a point of order, demanding his colleagues to mandate Dankaka to present evidence substantiating her medical appointment.

However, Moses Anaughe, the federal commissioner representing Delta state, told the committee that Dankaka had been untruthful in her letter to the panel, adding that she was at her office and had not scheduled any medical appointment.

“I want to inform this house that the federal character commission chairman as we speak, is in her office. This has been her usual way of dodging committee invitations,” Anaughe said.

“I just want you people (lawmakers) to know. This has been her usual practice because if the federal character is doing their job very well, this issue of audit and inviting FCC will not arise.”

Anaughe asked members of the committee to ensure that the FCC chair appears before them to “tell her stewardship of the FCC”.

The federal commissioners representing Osun, Kaduna, Delta, Lagos and Enugu corroborated Anaughe’s position, insisting that Dankaka is employing medical excuses to evade appearing before the committee.

‘YOU CAN’T LIE TO THE COMMITTEE’

Oke accused Abubakar of lying to the committee, asserting that he falsely claimed the FCC chairperson had a medical appointment, adding that there should be repercussions for such dishonest behaviour.

“You have come to this parliament to lie before us, you cannot just go away like that,” he said.

“You came before the Nigerian parliament, before the Nigerian people to lie to us when you know that your chairman is in the office.

“A colleague of yours is telling you that your chairman is in the office. But you brought a letter here to mislead the committee — to lie before us. If she is tired, she should throw in the towel.”

THE RULING

In his ruling, Yusuf Gagdi, chairperson of the committee, said Dankaka must appear before the committee on Wednesday alongside all the federal commissioners in the FCC.

The committee chairperson said the parliament will recommend the sacking of government officials who take taxpayers’ monies “for granted”.

“The 10th house of representatives will be one of the best because if it gets to a level of recommending for your removal — to the best of my ability, this committee is going to do that. We will ensure the right thing is done,” he said.

“For the first time, we are going to recommend to the house of representatives and to the executive arm of government — Mr president to sanction MDAs that are taking taxpayers’ money for granted, I swear.”

Early this month, the house had set up the ad hoc committee to investigate MDAs over their alleged mismanagement of IPPIS, following the adoption of a motion moved by Oke.