WORKERS of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) staged protests at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday and Friday, demanding immediate government action over alleged abuse of office by the Executive Chairman, Dr. Muheeba Dankaka.
Under the umbrella of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), comprising the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), and the Nigeria Union of Public Service Reportorial, Secretarial, Data Processors, and Allied Workers (NUPSRAW), the workers called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, citing years of mismanagement and high-handed leadership.
Among their grievances, the workers accused Dankaka of unlawfully withholding the salaries of 20 staff members, suspending payments for employees on approved study leave, and failing to settle retirement and death benefits for former staff.
They carried placards with messages such as “Dankaka Must Go,” “Enough is Enough,” and “No to Sole Administrator in FCC.”
The protest followed a formal petition to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), in which the unions alleged that Dankaka had turned the FCC into a “private enterprise,” disregarding administrative procedures and extant laws since her appointment in July 2020.
The petition, jointly signed by union leaders Comrade Benson Agbo Ameh (NCSU), Comrade Gidi Fanimokun Uche (ASCSN), and Comrade Franca Akpehwo (NUPSRAW), accused Dankaka of frequent clashes with the Commission’s Governing Board, arbitrary appointments, and neglect of staff welfare.
They JNC also claimed that staff training had been suspended since 2020, while the chairman allegedly relied on a select group of loyalists to run the Commission.
The unions further alleged that Dankaka retrieved over 22 official vehicles for personal use, failed to pay electricity bills, leading to frequent power cuts, and neglected basic office maintenance.
They also accused her of resisting directives from the SGF’s office and lobbying for reappointment despite nearing the end of her five-year tenure.
The workers called for a comprehensive investigation into the FCC’s finances and administrative decisions from 2020 to date, insisting that only a thorough probe would reveal the full extent of the alleged misconduct.
As of press time, the FCC leadership had not issued an official response to the allegations and efforts to reach the embattled Dankaka failed.
