Moses Anaughe, a federal commissioner at the Federal Character Commission (FCC) representing Delta, has countered its chairwoman, Farida Dankaka’s letter, stating why she could not appear before the House of Representatives probe panel on employment racketeering.

Ms Dankaka, in a letter she wrote to the ad hoc committee investigating federal ministries, departments, agencies and tertiary institutions on the mismanagement of personnel recruitment in Abuja, claimed she was scheduled to see her doctor.

The ad hoc committee is also investigating employment racketeering and gross mismanagement of IPPIS.

The commissioner representing Taraba read the letter stating that she had a medical appointment with her doctor. But in a swift reaction to the letter, Mr Anaughe said the chairwoman was in the office at the time of reading the letter of her purported ill health.

“Distinguished honourable members, I want to inform this house that the FCC chairman, as we speak, is in her office. This has been her usual way of dodging committee invitations,” stated Mr Anaughe. “I just want you people to know, as we speak right now if you send somebody there now, maybe they will call her or send her a message she will run.”

He added, “This has been her usual practice because if FCC has done very well, this issue of inviting other commissions and agencies will not arise because the bulk of this investigation lies on FCC. I just want this committee to know. And if I may request, she is in her office as we speak. She knows the duration of this committee, that is why she is asking for a one-week extension. I just want this honourable house to get this information.”

Mr Anaughe insisted that “this is the usual character of Dankaka,” the chairwoman of FCC abstaining from “every committee that invited her.”

“If she wants to collect 10 per cent of employment from any chief executive officer of MDAs, she will insist that such chief executive must meet such person one on one, so why is she not here?” added Mr Anaughe.

He pleaded with the committee to ensure that Ms Dankaka appeared before it to explain her stewardship for the three years she has been in the saddle.

Angered by the information, the committee chairman, Yusuf Gagdi, ordered Ms Dankaka to appear with the entire commissioners by 12:00 p.m. on July 26, describing the FCC commissioners as liars.

Not satisfied with the name-calling, Tonye Okio, an FCC commissioner representing Bayelsa, said, “I take exception to you calling us liars. There is a document from our chairman, and she signed, stating that she had an appointment with her doctor today.”

The committee recommended that the State Security Service should provide every investigation linked to the FCC chairwoman. The committee also resolved that President Bola Tinubu should sanction any errant heads of MDAs.

Reacting to the development, Mr Anaughe said, “As soon as I made that information, somebody among us called her, she left the office immediately, and what I am saying now is MTN can prove where she was when I made the statement. I want to tell this committee that all commissioners in FCC are in Abuja, and we are ready to come before this committee tomorrow.”

Mr Anaughe’s disclosure contradicted information by an FCC commissioner supporting the FCC chairwoman’s claim that some commissioners were outside Abuja.

AbdulRasaq Abioye, FCC commissioner representing Osun, said the chairwoman was in her office at 12 noon when he left the FCC office.

(NAN)