The Senate has vowed to probe the Federal Character Commission (FCC) for allegedly selling appointment letters of Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) for N3million per slot to Nigerians.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character Commission and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator Danjuma La’ah (PDP, Kaduna South), who disclosed this to journalists on Monday, assured that the probe would start soon.
Senator La’ah revealed that the committee was overwhelmed by evidence of dishonest dealing in the FCC, adding that they knew of a man who bought the NPA job for N3 million from the commission.
He said: “Well, thank you for bringing up the issue of job racketeering at the Federal Character Commission.
“The Senate Committee on Federal Character Commission has been investigating and we are doing everything possible to unravel those behind sales of jobs there.
“I got reports from different people on sales of jobs going on at the Federal Character Commission (FCC).
“Appointment into government offices for sales at the Federal Character Commission is real.
“Someone has forwarded to me a text which is in my phone that he purchased Nigerian Ports Authority job from the Federal Character Commission at N3million.
“This is shocking. It makes my heart bleeds; I am so sad and I am going to take a drastic action on this case. If the Committee finds out this is what they have been doing, we are not going to take it lightly with them.
“No stone shall be left unturned in telling the whole country that the FCC is involved in job racketeering.
“There is high unemployment rate in Nigeria. People finish school and there is no job anywhere only to be busy selling jobs. Does it make sense? It’s an embarrassment to the society; it’s an embarrassment to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The President had earlier made a statement that he wants to ensure everybody enjoys his administration whatever it will take as hundreds of thousands of undergraduates will be given appointments.
“If the investigation we are doing confirms it to be true, we are not going to take it lightly. We are gradually closing in on them.
“What I am still proving is an allegation. The Committee would do a detailed job and if it turns out to be true, we will take the appropriate action.”
Meanwhile, the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPRA), National Agency for Drugs and Food Administration (NAFDAC), Security Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Federal College of Education, Zaria today shunned investigation into their nominal rolls being conducted by the Senate Committee on Federal Character Commission.
