Job racketeering: Reps panel orders arrest of ex-FCC staff

Yusuf Kolo, a former employee of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), is facing a new turn of events as the House of Representatives takes decisive action. An arrest warrant has been issued against Kolo due to his repeated failure to participate in the proceedings of an ad hoc committee.

This committee is diligently investigating instances of job racketeering within various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). Kolo’s non-appearance has raised concerns, prompting the House of Representatives to take this stern measure in their pursuit of uncovering the truth behind the alleged job irregularities.

Yusuf Gagdi, chairman of the committee, issued the arrest warrant yesterday after Kolo failed twice to appear before the panel to answer questions bordering on allegations of job racketeering while he was a staff of the FCC.

Gagdi said: “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.”

Kolo, who now works with the Assets Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, said Dankaka, chairman of the commission, appointed him as her chief protocol officer while he was serving at FCC.

He told the panel that he was never involved in selling job offers, adding that he only acted on the instructions of Dankaka.

The chairman of the committee had on Wednesday, questioned why Kolo failed to honour the invitation to appear before the panel.

“I also don’t know why Kolo is not coming back to appear before this committee. He seems to have absconded. I will sign a letter to AMCON to produce Kolo on Thursday.

“It is better he listens to us unless he is acting a script and selling lies to us. He should come so we can interact with him. We owe everybody the duty of care.

“We need him by 10 a.m tomorrow; the clerk of the committee should call AMCON on the phone and tell them to produce Kolo or do they know what Kolo is hiding?” Gagdi said.

He had said the committee would “exercise its constitutional powers” if Kolo failed to appear yesterday, as he had been accused of working in three institutions.