No fewer than fourteen beneficiaries of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) job racketeering have confessed to taking salaries through the Nigerian government’s Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) without working.
OsunDailyNG reports that a House Committee chaired by Yusuf Gagdi is investigating job racketeering in the FEC following a confession of one of the commission’s workers Haruna Kolo.
The fourteen beneficiaries confirmed to the House of Representatives committee investigating job racketeering that they have not been working.
The beneficiaries on Monday told the committee that their salaries were paid on the platform of the Nigerian government’s Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS).
One of the beneficiaries, Gbadamosi Jalo, told the House of Representatives committee that Kolo took him to the IPPIS office and registered him on its portal without any job placements.
Jalo said even though he got an appointment letter reportedly issued by the National Institute of Oceanography, he was not assigned to any government ministry, department, or agency.
According to him, Kolo informed him that his money for the job consideration was received on behalf of the FCC chairperson.
He further revealed that one Gambo Yisha’u, driver of the Commissioner representing Taraba at the FCC, also confirmed to him that such money would later be paid to Mrs Dankaka.
Similarly, twelve other witnesses made similar submissions, alleging that they paid money to Kolo but had not been posted to any ministry, department, or government agency.
Also, a potential beneficiary of the racket, Musa Ibrahim, who appeared before the committee, said he paid some money to one Abdullahi Azareh, who acted as the linkman to the FCC commissioner representing Nasarawa State.
Ibrahim told the House Committee that though the police in Nasarawa State arrested Azareh after a barrage of complaints and petitions, he was released upon intervention by FCC commissioners.
He noted, “We are victims of circumstances; the guy was arrested and detained for few hours because he was working with the commissioner representing Nasarawa State at the FCC.’’
However, in his response, Gagdi said witnesses were invited after the committee learned about their statements of account and payment to Kolo.
He explained that while the committee was not a prosecuting agency, it would get to the root of the matter and recommend appropriate sanctions.
Faulting the IPPIS for its porosity, Gagdi said, “If Kolo was finding it easy to go to IPPIS to register payees without the knowledge of authorizing officers, the IPPIS needs to answer a lot of questions.”
The House Committee Chairman earlier had called for the arrest of Kolo, who last week confessed to taking money on behalf of the FEC chairperson.
