From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
A human rights group, LYGEL Youths and Leadership Initiative has berated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over its failure to interrogate the Chairman, Federal Character Commission (FCC), Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka who was alleged to have falsified her name and some of her academic credentials.
Specifically, the group condemned the anti-corruption war of the current EFCC chairman, Mr Abulrasheed Bawa, saying the failure of Bawa to question Dankaka was a blow on the EFCC.
Dankaka who was alleged to have falsified her name and other academic documents was said to have been invited by the EFCC twice but failed to appear before the anti graft agency.
Acting on a petition filed before it by a human rights group, LYGEL Youths and Leadership Initiative, the EFCC had last year invited Dr Dankaka to appear for interrogation before it twice but turned down the invitation on the two occasions for reasons not known.
It was learnt that further steps were not taken by the EFCC to compel the embattled FCC chairman to appear before it despite the weight of the allegations and their implications for the nation.
The rights group in a statement made available to newsmen by its Director of Legal and Compliance, Mr Olalekan Oladapo claimed that Its petition was duly submitted to appropriate department of the EFCC and necessary documentation was done but expressed disappointment on why the FCC chairman failed to honour the invitation, and the complacency of the EFCC to compel her.
The group had in its petition dated 11th March, 2021, signed by its Director of Legal and Compliance, Mr Olalekan Oladapo and addressed to the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Bawa alleged that Mrs Dankaka has no justification to hold the position of FCC chairman which she currently holds, having allegedly falsified most of her credentials.
He said “subsequent upon the submission of the petition, the rights group was invited to defend her petition against the embattled FCC chairman and which was done in writing about almost a year ago. EFCC’s invitations on her came about a year after the petition. However, she shuned the invitation.”
“Worried by the development, the rights group also wrote a reminder and same was received at the EFCC headquarters on the 11th of January, 2022 but no noticeable step was taken by the EFCC, save for the visit of the Chairman of the commission to the FCC headquarters and subsequent processing of waivers not to advertise for employment by the EFCC.
The rights group had in a petition forwarded to EFCC alleged that “we have every reason to believe that Mrs Dankaka’s credentials were falsified and or grossly inconsistent with the name presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the senate for confirmation.”
Oladapo said, having gone through the Curriculum Vitae of Mrs Dankaka and her credentials, he discovered that “her Curriculum Vitae and credentials are suspicious of foul play and portends security risk”
The petition reads in part “the alleged observed inconsistencies, misrepresentation and imposition of Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka as contained in the Certified True Copies of her Curriculum Vitae and certificates which she submitted to the senate for screening including the claim that she had honourary degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Pacific Western University, Denver Colorado, USA in 2007.
“The National University Commission (NUC) had declared the Pacific Western University, Denver Colorado, USA, Owerri study centre where Mrs Dankaka got her acclaimed honourary doctorate degree illegal and consequently shut it down. The school was neither registered nor had the capacity to issue such certificate. Mrs Dankaka upon the award criminally pretend to be a Ph.D awardee and affixed the title to her name.
“Mrs Dankaka’s name on her Master’s degree certificate obtained from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria is Muiba Nike Salau which is not consistent with the name presented to the senate by President Muhammadu Buhari. The name presented to the senate was Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka. While Dankaka May be excused as name adopted at marriage, Farida and Muheeba are without any reference and are so being used dubiously.
“Mrs Dankaka’s name that appears on the first degree certificate she obtained from Bayero University, Kano was Muibat Adenike Salawu. The name is also at variant with the name officially presented to the senate for screening and confirmation by President Buhari.
“Mrs Dankaka’s name on the West African Examination School Certificate obtained in 1978 is Salawu Muibat Adenike, which is also not consistent with other documents she claimed to have had.
“She also claimed to have obtained her first school leaving certificate in 1972. Gleaning from her Curriculum Vitae that she submitted to the senate for her screening, she was born on January 2nd, 1964, by school admission age during this period (5 or 6 years old), this record shows she spent only 2-3 years for her primary school education.
“In summary, her Curriculum Vitae and all her attached certificates are grossly contradictory, inconsistent and it was on that basis, that her appointment was based,” the group added.
Besides, the group alleged that Mrs Dankaka had recently removed the initial F. (Farida) from all her official portraits at FCC and all official documents she recently append her signature.
The group enjoined the EFCC to do the needful in relation to all the allegations leveled against Mrs Dankaka, as the agency had done with other suspects for fairness and in the interest of the nation, stressing that her actions constitute economic sabotage and portends serious dangers to the security of the nation, just as it expressed concern over her decision to shun the EFCC invitation.
Also, the group prayed EFCC to bring Dankaka to book if she’s found guilty of all the allegations leveled against her as there should be no sacred cow on the issue of crime as represented by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.