A former desk officer in charge of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) at the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Mr. Haruna Kolo, who was accused of collecting money in exchange for jobs, has admitted collecting N75 million from persons allegedly on the instruction of FCC Chairman, Hajiya Farida Dankaka.
He also said that the FCC chairperson instructed him to send the money to his personal bank account and pay her in cash, which he did at several meetings in her house.
Kolo made the revelation at the ongoing investigative hearing by the House of Representative ad hoc committee investigating federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), parastatals and tertiary institutions on mismanagement of the IPPIS.
Kolo said he resigned from FCC on 2nd November 2022, to begin work at Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), but still received a salary from the commission on two occasions, adding that he reported to the FCC human resource officer but was told it was not an issue and that it would be handled.
He said: “When she came to Federal Character Commission as the executive chairman, she appointed me as a protocol officer and 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 Personal Assistant to a Taraba State commissioner.
“As a desk officer, I’m responsible to take whoever is employed to IPPIS for capturing. No one can go there without a letter from the chairman or the human resource officer of FCC.
“When she came, she wrote a letter to the Accountant General instructing that no letter from FCC should be honoured except she signs the letter. So, whenever there were new employments, she signs, gives to me and I take to the Accountant General’s Office for capturing.
“Shehu is the one that brought those who paid money to my account for job; some paid N1 million, others N1.5 million, all to my personal account. She asked me to give cash to her which I did through PoS, so there is no evidence of transfer or anything.
“On the allegation of working at seven places, I was never at any time involved in seven jobs, they are making the allegation, based on assumption.
“The second allegation on my subsequent employment to AMCON, that was as a result of her personal favour to me; we were four in number”.
