Alleged abuse of office: FCC staff protest, demand chairman Muheeba Dankaka’s sack

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NLC plans protest in FCT over unpaid wages
Federal Character Commission (FCC) employees, yesterday, forcefully locked the commission’s premises in protest, demanding the immediate removal of its Chairman, Dr Muheeba Dankaka.

This was as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warned it would shut down Abuja after July 3, if the authorities fail to resolve ongoing industrial disputes affecting area council workers.

The FCC workers, under the umbrella of the Joint Negotiating Council (Tripartite Union), accused Dankaka of crippling the commission’s operations through alleged mismanagement, corruption, abuse of office and disregard for civil service regulations.

Dankaka was confirmed as Chairman of the FCC in June 2020, alongside 35 other members nominated by then-President Muhammadu Buhari. Her appointment followed constitutional processes as laid out in Sections 14, 153, and 154(1) of the Constitution.

However, her tenure has been riddled with controversy, including petitions to anti-corruption agencies, disputes with commissioners, and accusations of centralising power and neglecting due process.

Established by Act No. 34 of 1996 and strengthened by the 1999 Constitution, the FCC is tasked with promoting fairness and equity in the distribution of public posts and socio-economic infrastructure across Nigeria’s diverse regions.

But the staff say the very principles the commission was created to uphold, justice, inclusion and equitable representation, had been undermined under Dankaka’s leadership.

During the protest, Chairman of the union, Benson Ameh, said the workers could no longer endure “five years of decay and dictatorship” under Dankaka’s leadership.

He claimed that Dankaka was lobbying for a second term through high-level political figures, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje.