There was a mild drama on Tuesday at the investigative hearing of the House of Representatives as several commissioners in the Federal Character Commission (FEC) accused the Chairman, Muheeba Dankaka, of lying about a medical appointment to avoid appearing before the committee.
The ad-hoc committee, chaired by Yusuf Gagdi, was set up to investigate the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and employment in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs)
Armaya’u Abubakar, the commissioner from Taraba State, had earlier presented a letter to the committee, informing the lawmakers that Ms Dankaka could not appear because of a medical appointment with her doctor.
However, a member of the committee, Oluwole Oke, raised a point of order, noting that Ms Dankaka has credibility issues, hence, the committee should mandate her to come along with the medical receipt to prove the claim in the letter.
While they were at it, a Commissioner of FCC from Delta State, Moses Anaughe, informed lawmakers that Ms Dankaka lied about having a hospital appointment, noting that she did so to avoid appearing before the committee.
“She is in her office as we speak,” he told the lawmakers.
“I want to stress that the chairman of the Federal Character Commission, this is her usual excuse for various committees that invite her.
“I want to plead that the chair of FCC should come and face the committee to tell her stewardship of the FCC,” he said.
The allegation by Mr Anaughe sparked reactions from the lawmakers, who called for tough sanctions against the Taraba commissioner and others who represented Ms Dankaka.
Several other commissioners also corroborated the allegation made against the chairperson.
Mr Oke, who had earlier raised the issue of credibility, said the action of the FCC chair is a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the committee. He called for sanctions against her.
“Mr Chairman, you have a document in front of you. I want to put it to them (commissioners) that they have come to this parliament to lie to us. You cannot just go away like that. You came before the people to lie. A colleague of yours just told you that your chairman is in the office and you came here to lie.
“To tell you that our constitutional democracy works, Mr President obeys that constitution and that is why you see him come to the parliament to lay his budget annually. How come an aide, a lieutenant, is undermining the parliament? If she is tired, she should throw in the towel,” he said.
“Lying at your age”— Panel Chairman fumes
The chairman of the committee was visibly angry with the alleged antics of Mr Abubakar and some of the commissioners who represented Ms Dankaka.
“At your age — a chairman that you are perhaps older than will sit in her office, signed a letter and give you, lying that she has a medical appointment. You came to present it and still insist that you are not lying,” Mr Gagdi said.
He, therefore, ruled that Ms Dankaka, and all the commissioners in the FCC should appear before the committee by 11 a.m. on Wednesday.