The House of Representatives has ordered the arrest of a former desk officer in charge of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) at the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Haruna Kolo, over job racketeering allegations.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the order was made by the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee investigating mismanagement of personnel recruitment, employment racketeering and other related matters, Yusuf Gagdi, during a meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
Kolo was summoned to appear before the panel to answer to the allegations, but failed to do so. Gagdi said that the committee had no choice but to order his arrest in order to ensure that he faces justice.
The committee also gave a deadline of Monday, August 14, 2023 for the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), and other agencies who have disobeyed the call to appear before the committee.
Recall that on Monday, Kolo told the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee that he collected over 75 million naira from people on the instruction of the FCC chairperson, Farida Dankaka.
He said that Dankaka instructed him to collect the money to his personal Ecobank account and then pay it to her in cash. He said that he did this at several meetings at her house.
Kolo also said that he was still receiving salary from the FCC after he resigned from the commission in November 2022. According to him, he reported this to the FCC’s human resources officer but was told that it was not an issue.
He said, “when she 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, am responsible to take whoever is employed to IPPIS for capturing no one can go there without a letter from the Chairman or Human Resource officer of FCC.
“When she came, she wrote a letter to the Accountant General instructing that no letter from FCC should be honored except she signs the letter. So when ever there were new employment, she signs, give to me and I take to the Accountant General’s office for capturing.
“Shehu is the one that brought those who paid monies to my account for job, some paid 1million others 1.5 million all to my personal account, my Eco bank account. She asked me to give cash to her which I did through POS so there is not evidence of transfer or anything.”
