FCC job racketeering probe: Reps C’ttee adjourns over absence of star witness

The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee probing employment Racketeering in Agencies of the Federal Government on Thursday adjourned sitting abruptly and resolved to issue a warrant of arrest on one Mr Haruna Kolo, a former staff of the Federal Character Commission FCC over his roles in the ongoing probe of the Commission over alleged massive job racketeering

Mr Haruna Kolo, now a staff member of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) . had appeared before the Committee on Monday and admitted of collecting several millions of Naira from individuals in exchange of employment slots on behalf of the Executive Chairman of the Commission Dr (Mrs) Muheeba Dankaka

However, the Executive Chairman of the Commission denied the allegations against her which prompted the Committee to summon two other witnesses mentioned in the case to appear before it along with Kolo on Wednesday

During his appearance, after admitting of fronting for the FCC Chairman expressed fear for his safety and said that the Chairman should be held responsible if anything happens to him.

After his Mondays evidence against the FCC Chairman Kolo has failed to honour the invitation of the Committee to appear in subsequent hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the Chairman’ of the Committee, Hon Yusuf Gagadi frowned at the continued absence of Haruna Kolo with a promise that a warrant of arrest would be issued against Kolo and others

He said if Kolo does not show up for the probe, he would be brought in by the security agencies with the warrant of arrest which said the Committee would approach the Speaker Hon Tajudeen Abbas for approval.

The Committee Chairman also frowned at government agencies for avoiding the probe and promised that there would be sanctions henceforth for any agency that fails to honour the invitation of the committee.

According to him, “we have made our position very clear and we have resolved to further communicate through Newspapers publications today and tomorrow for these agencies to make sure they have cause appearance before this committee. And we are going to make our position very public in various dailies and televisions stations beginning from tomorrow giving agencies the last warning that they should appear before this committee on Monday unfailingly from Monday to Friday. All our witnesses that we have equally asked to be here are going to appear before us on Monday and Tuesday in continuation to this hearing.

“Yesterday we asked Haruna Kolo to be here and some other personalities. Are they here? They are not. I think agencies would begin to see the other side of this committee from Monday by the special grace of God. We are going to rewrite, we are going to make newspaper publications, we are going to make television announcements, so that we see if they do not watch TV or they do not read newspapers, if they claim that letters from this committee have not reached them. We should do just that and give them the benefit of the doubt.

“We are people’s representatives. So we would not be in a hurry to take any decision. For Haruna Kolo, the position of this committee is that he would lose his freedom. We will issue a warrant of arrest in respect of Haruna Kolo and compel security agencies to present him before this committee at any given period if he is so arrested. So this committee would communicate officially to the various security agencies and to AMCON in addition to communication that we have sent to them yesterday for Haruna Kolo to be presented here unfailingly by either the security agencies or by AMCON themselves. And the committee to approve that warrant of arrest would be issued in respect of Haruna Kolo.”

The hearing was then adjourned abruptly as government agencies expected failed to show up.