The House of Representatives Committee on job racketeering on Wednesday vowed to exercise its constitutional right on anybody or organization who fails to honour its invitation while accusing the director of Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) of dodging its investigation.
This is as the House summoned the former desk officer of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Haruna Kolo and demanded that the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) where he is current employed should provide Kolo unfailingly on Thursday (tomorrow) at 10am to give further clarification on allegations made against him and by him against the Chairman of the FCC, Muheeba Farida Dankaka and others.
The committee also summoned the Accountant General of the Federation and the Director of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to appear alongside as well.
Recall that Kolo had earlier on Monday appeared before the House Ad-hoc Committee where he admitted collecting money from job seekers to offer them jobs, amounting to N75 million on the instruction of the chairman, Dankaka.
He was expected to appear for further clarification and evidence on allegations made against him and allegations he made against his former boss and others but he failed since then shines the invitation of the committee.
Meanwhile, the driver and personal assistant of the FCC Commission for Taraba State who were fingered in the allegation, appeared before the Committee on Wednesday and denied some of the allegation even been part of those that were employed in 2022 as alleged by Kolo.
According to the driver Yishau Gambo in his testimony, “I came to FCC in 2022 with the Taraba State Commissioner. The Commissioner payed me from his personal salary and I was not employed alongside with those that were employed in 2022”, he stated.
The driver, Yishau Gambo however, admitted he worked with Kolo to sell employment to some persons.
The PA, Abdulraman Ibrahim said his Boss asked him to submit his CV for employment.
He said he had gotten his employment letter in 2023 but was yet to be captured.
He denied being part of those that were employed in 2022 as alleged by Kolo.
The Committee directed him to bring the employment letter he was given the following day (Thursday).
Ruling on the matter, the chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) said Kolo must appear unfailingly to substantiate the allegations.
“The Committee is in a dilemma why the IPPIS is absconding from the sitting. The Desk Officers of IPPIS Head of Service and Budget Office, why are they absconding? We have interacted with the Accountant General of then Federation and demanded that the IPPIS should post two persons here. IPPIS that are capturing, why was Kolo so comfortable to take people at will to IPPIS office for capture?
“Clerk summoned the Accountant General and the Director of the IPPIS to be here tomorrow at 10 am. I don’t know why they are running away. Secondly, we are equally confused but we have a solution as to why would Kolo not come here. He got a notice for 12 o’clock and at one o’clock he was in this hall. Only for us to ask him to return yesterday and to ask him to be here today and he absconded. I will sign a letter officially to AMCON to produce Kolo tomorrow by 10 am.
“At least we have given the benefit of the doubt twice. I think it is better for Kolo to listen to us and appear here, unless if he is acting a script to misguide this proceeding and send lies across the federation. Let him come. We are interacting. There is nobody here that was intimidated. We are to represent Nigerian people, the good, the bad and the ugly. We owe everyone the duty of care.
“Clerk call AMCON on the phone and send a text to AMCON, let them come here with Kolo. AMCON is supposed to appear before us today. Why are they not appearing? Do they know something about what Kolo is doing and why they admitted him in AcMCON? We would go to the root of this matter no matter how the agencies claim to be smart of run away, they must come here. We must account to the Nigerian people what we are doing in all the various institutions that positions of trust in embedded on us. So AMCON should come. Kolo should appear tomorrow otherwise we would exercise our constitutional powers on Kolo and any other agencies that fail to appear before this committee from tomorrow.”
“We would go to the root of this matter no matter how the agencies claim to be smart or run away, they must come here. We must account to the Nigerian people what we are doing in all the various institutions that positions of trust given to us. So AMCON should come. Kolo should appear tomorrow otherwise we would exercise our constitutional powers on Kolo and any other agencies that fail to appear before this committee from tomorrow.”
Gagdi also accused government agencies of committing fraud through waivers to bypass publicly advertising for employment.
“There is no agency in Nigeria that would exonerate itself of some of these defects of favouritism, nepotism and what have you. Waiver is a fraud pending our recommendation from the House of Representatives because agencies are hiding under waiver to recruit their family members, friends, those that give them money, to sell slots, etcetera.
“No agency has any reason not to advertise vacancies for recruitment. But every agency does not want to advertise. Why? You recruit 100, 200, 300, 900, 100, splitting it into three instalments without going to the public to tell Nigerians that they have vacancies and are inviting qualified Nigerians to apply for such things.
“So take it or leave it, agencies are hiding under waivers to perpetuate employment racketeering and other employment-related fraud. That is our position. Because there is no agency that would appear here that would not give you a certificate of waiver. Most of the agencies would not bring even a one paged advert in any national daily for its recruitment. So it is a fraud.
A member of the Committee, Hon Amobi Godwin Ogar, Abia, also speaking said that government agencies were deliberately seeking waivers to corrupt the proper process of employment.
He said, “From the report that you have submitted on the request for waiver, I noticed that not only your agency, but the majority of the agencies they use this waiver on advertisement to cause this employment racketeering. For me, I think it is deliberate. So I want to ask your commission, why refusing to comply with the setup rule to advertise recruitment in respect of the right of applicants.
“This will promote maximum participation and provision of a wider scope for the selection of the best. Because when you keep requesting for a waiver on an advertisement that means something is wrong somewhere and that is the problem we are facing in this country. I think it has come to the time we should be doing things right, so that those that do not have people can be able to get jobs because through these waivers, you will do your personal arrangement and deprive good Nigerians the opportunity to get jobs.