- Reps threaten to issue arrest warrant
By Jonathan Lois, Abuja
The Ongoing investigative public hearing in the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing employment racketeering and gross mismanagement of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPS) took different dimensions Tuesday as two witnesses who appeared before the committee indicted the former desk officer of the commission, Haruna Kolo as well as the secretary and driver of a Commissioner in the commission.
Atmosphere was emotion-laden when Abdulalik Isah Ahmed and Ali Mohammed Yaro who were earlier invited for appearance a day earlier took the stand to testify before the lawmakers as they became emotional in their speech and action, which compelled the committee chairman, Hon Yusuf Gagdi and other panelists not to interrogate them further.
In his testimony, Mohammed Ali Yaro told members of the Committee that he has been applicant for many years after he graduated from University and was at several occasions been persuaded by many notorious group such as bandits and Book Haram to join which he outrightly rejected.
According to Isah, he got to know the former desk officer in the Federal Character Commission, FCC, Kolo Haruna through the driver of Taraba state commissioner in the commission, one Gambo Ishahu whom he paid #1M, to for onward transmission to Haruna to enable him get a letter of appointment.
The witness further informed the committee that he had earlier discussed and negotiated with Kolo on the amount of money he can offer for the work, pleading with him for understanding as he could not offer more because of no work for a long time after he graduated from the university.
He explained that after a long discussion, they finally agreed on instrumental payment, were he single handedly gave Kolo Haruna a sum of N1M Naira, adding that the recipient did not and has never told him that the money is for the Chairlady of the commission or any other person in the commission.
Isah during interrogation by some lawmakers informed that he has never interface with the Chairman of FCC on the matter or any other principal officer at the establishment even as he emphasized during the hearing that Haruna Kolo did not tell him that the money was’for the FCC Chairman.
According to the witness, he was aware that several people were paying to get work and appointment letters at the commission but because he wanted to’play safe, he wanted to have some measures of security before parting ways with his hard-earned money.
The witness further told the lawmakers that he wanted some kind of security so that incase of an eventuality, he will have somebody to hold responsible for his money, adding that he was afraid of dealing with those outside the commission but wanted to deal with an insider or a staff of the commission.
He explained that it was because of his thorough findings for guarantee that the driver to the Taraba State Commissioner at the Commission introduced him to Kolo Haruna who was at the time the desk officer at the FCC.
He equally disclosed that most of their discussion on the whole matter was between him and the Taraba Commissioner driver, Gambo Ishahu who was as a link between him and Haruna kolo.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Yusuf Gagdi shortly after interjected members on the types of questions to be raised with the witnesses so as not to intimidate them promising to protect whoever that appear before his committee as witnesses with the truth and facts to help.
The Chairman had earlier commended the two witnesses for their courage to appear before the lawmakers reiterating the readiness of his committee to probe beyond the surface inorder to provide justice and equity to all parties involved.
He also informed the witnesses that they all have his protection as well as that of his Committee, while he further directed the Taraba Commissioner driver, secretary and ‘Haruna Kolo’ himself to appear unfailingly tomorrow before’his panel.
In another development, another witness, Ali Muhammed Yaro told the Committee that he graduated many years before getting at federal Character Commission,FCC through Kolo Haruna after the payment of #2 million Naira.
He maintained that he had to cough out the money because he wanted to work for his country alleging that in Nigeria only those with connections are given work after graduation but those with nobody have to bribe before they are given work to do.
According to him, he paid the money through a friend who also at the time also an applicant adding that they went to the secretary of the commission who collected their certificates for assessment after which they were given appointment letters.
The equally informed the Committee that they were 27 in numbers adding that since then, most of them have not been posted though their salary is running on monthly basis.
Another agency that also appeared before the Committee was the Niger Delta Power Company, although the Executive Director Legal services wanted to represent the Managing Director, it was turned down by the lawmakers and was given another date for appearance.
