The management of the Federal Character Commission on Thursday said the Commission is working in accordance to the rules and guidelines establishing it.
The management however kept mum on various allegations against the board of the Commission. It also refuse to respond to inquiries about the alleged misconduct of the Chairman of the board, Muheeba Dankaka.
The 5th Board of the Commission was inaugurated in July 2020. The commission is set up to ensure the tenets of fairness, jutice and equity in placement in government establishments.
But the recent board has been in the news for the wrong reasons in the last few weeks. The board according to findings is also divided with some commissioners aggrieved with the leadership style of the board Chairman. The board has been at the receiving end, as allegations of job racketering and other vices were reported against the leadership of the board.
Mr. Vincent Onobun, the Most Senior Director in the Commission who briefed the press said they decided to respond to the trending issues in the media because of its negative publicity.
Onobun therefore said press briefing was to clear the air on allegations in the media which bothers on rule of law, due process, guidelines and extant circulars and job racketering against the board leadership.
But when the allegations against the Chairman was raised, Onobum said he does not have the authority to speak on behalf of the board.
He also parried the question on the essence of the briefing when in actual fact, he does not have the authority to speak on certain issues.
Onibun in his briefing said the issue of funding for monthly activities may soon be a thing of the past as the commission got a positive response on the issue of improved funding, saying the government has reflected that in the 2021 budget.
He however denied the allegation of award of contract against the Chairman of the board, saying the said issue of N35 million is part of the rolling plan under the government Economoc Growth Revpvery Plan (EGRP).
Besides, Onobun said the issue of the N35 million was before the assumption of office of the new board.
On the issue of waivers to agencies to Ministries, Departments and Agencies, he said it was done based on the quantum and exigency of time.
He explained that some agencies, because of their nature of operation might not be able to meet the time line to follow the full process, hence the need to grant them waiver.
He also explained that the board cancelled the recruitment exercise in the Commission on the ground that it did not follow due process.
