Former Senate President and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adolphus Wabara, has raised serious corruption allegations against the Federal Character Commission (FCC). Wabara has called for the immediate removal of the FCC Chairman, Muheeba Dankaka, citing widespread job racketeering within the commission.
In an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH, Wabara shared a personal experience where he sought job placements for individuals from his constituency but was met with demands for bribes. He revealed that despite visiting the FCC in person to request jobs, his efforts were blocked due to his refusal to pay.
“I physically went to the FCC, requesting two or three jobs for some people in my wards. You will not believe that up till now, nothing has been done for the simple reason that I have not dropped any money,” Wabara said.
He added, “I found out from some people there that they wouldn’t give any job to my ward for free.”
Wabara’s statement adds to growing concerns about corruption within the FCC, where similar allegations of job racketeering have been reported in the past. During a public hearing by the House of Representatives investigating job racketeering, 14 witnesses testified that they had paid bribes to secure job placements.
The testimonies specifically implicated a former Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) desk officer at the FCC, Haruna Kolo, who admitted to collecting money from job seekers and claimed to have handed the funds over to Chairman Dankaka.
However, despite the gravity of the allegations, the investigative committee, led by Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), has yet to release its findings one year after its formation. This delay has led to suspicions of a possible cover-up, as powerful individuals implicated in the scandal appear to be influencing the outcome.
A source from the House of Representatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that substantial evidence was gathered during the investigation.
“There is enough evidence, but the issue has been buried due to the influence of those involved,” the source claimed.
Wabara criticized both the APC-led government and the National Assembly for failing to act decisively on the matter.
“Despite the serious allegations, nothing has been done. I expected the same swift action that was taken against Betta Edu to be applied here,” he remarked, referring to the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation who faced similar accusations.
The former Senate President also accused the current administration of failing in its commitment to fight corruption.
“The APC government claims to be fighting corruption, but what we are seeing is an increase in corrupt practices under their watch,” he said.
Efforts to reach the chairman of the investigative committee, Gagdi, for comments were unsuccessful. Calls to his mobile phone went unanswered, and he did not respond to text or WhatsApp messages. Similarly, Akin Rotimi, the spokesman for the House of Representatives, did not respond to calls or messages seeking clarification on the status of the investigation.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Communications and APC chieftain, Adebayo Shittu, has called for a thorough investigation into the allegations. Shittu revealed that he had spoken to a member of the FCC who confirmed the existence of job racketeering within the commission.
Shittu urged, “If the President acted quickly against Betta Edu, similar actions should be taken in this case. We must ensure that there are no selective investigations into corruption.”
Shittu emphasized the need for urgent action to restore public trust in the FCC.
“This is not a political issue or about our party, the APC, but about doing the right thing. These allegations against the FCC Chairman must be thoroughly investigated to determine the truth,” he stated.