Alhaji Manman Alakai, the Commissioner representing Nasarawa State in the Federal Character Commission, on Tuesday denied receiving money to secure employment for job seekers.
He spoke when he appeared before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing job racketeering in Federal Government agencies in Abuja.
Alakai denied collecting money to secure jobs for anyone in any Ministry, Department or Agency.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Musa Ibrahim, one of the victims of job racketeering, while appearing before the committee on August 14, 2023 claimed he alongside nine others paid millions into Abdullahi Ibrahim’s account.
He said Ibrahim acted as the link man to the Commissioner in collecting money from job seekers willing to pay.
Meanwhile, Alakai in his defence before the committee said he knew the Ibrahim in question, but added that contrary to his claim that he was his Personal Assistant, “Ibrahim has never been my PA or works in FCC”.
Narrating his experience, Alakai said: “A traditional ruler in Nasarawa called to inform me that one of my aides collected money from him for job slots.
“I asked that the number be tracked by the police and I discovered it was Ibrahim and I wrote a petition to the police and he was traced.
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“When they went to his house, the police found a uniform of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
“He claimed that he worked there.
“I was told that the people he defrauded have gone to court.”
READ ALS|O: I collected money from job-seekers on behalf of FCC Chairman, ex-staff alleges:
Alakai challenged the committee to investigate his account to ascertain the claim, saying: “My account is open for the committee to scrutinise since Ibrahim claimed he paid money to me for job slots.”
Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, the Chairman of the committee, said about nine people have evidence of a transfer made to Ibrahim.
Gagdi said that was why Alakai was invited to appear before the committee to give evidence since he claimed he was working for him.
Angered by the non-appearance of Musa Ibrahim, who made the allegation, the Chairman said: “You can’t come and make public allegations against any public officer without coming to substantiate it.
“We have nothing to say to you further because the people making allegations are not here.
“If they are not acting a script, they should be here to give further evidence.
“If you cannot justify that you paid money for any job slots with evidence, we will not allow any citizen to blackmail people without facts.”
The Chairman vowed never to call anyone to appear before it again in FCC, adding that the committee had established two things exist in the commission.
This, according to Gagdi, are accusations against the Chairman of the FCC and selling of job slots among Commissioners.
NAN reports that other agencies that appeared to give account of recruitment in their agencies include: Corporate Affairs Commission, National Universities Commission and Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission.
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