It has been three years since Dr Muheebah Dankaka assumed the Chairmanship of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and really how time flies.
For Dr Dankaka, taking up the challenges of taking FCC to greater glory might seemed daunting, but a task that must be done for the general benefits of Nigerians.
Three years after, the woman of substance and a great achiever has indeed breathed new lease of life into the administration of the agency and has ensured that the agency continues to break new grounds of achievements.
Dankaka on assumption of office, took headlong the challenge of tacking the major albatross of the FCC, that’s, job racketeering. The issue has been a major one which has given the Commission some negative comments from various quarters.
When she assumed office, Dankaka took major steps in tackling this major malaise.
In the first instance, she stopped indiscriminate correspondence and unauthorized visits to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). She found out very early that the purpose of such unauthorized visits and correspondence was to perpetuate the job-racketeering scam, hence the decision to put a stop to that practice.
Secondly, Dr Dankaka ensured the deployment and movement of staff connected with recruitment activities in the Department of Monitoring and Enforcement to other departments and replaced with new ones.
These bold actions decimated the job-racketeering gang and the results were the campaigns of calumny being spread against the Chairman. But of course, she remain undaunted.
“She has indeed tackled the job-racketeering gang and decimated them. She’s doing very well and that was the reason the corrupt members involved in this unwholesome practice are fighting back,” a staff of the Commission volunteered.
Another staff told our correspondent of how Dr Dankaka has enhanced welfare of staff thereby increasing their love for the job.
“Apart from regular training of staff, Dr Dankaka has given the headquarters of FCC a big facelift. She not only installed a 680kg passenger lift at the headquarters, she also reconstructed and beautified the headquarters reception,” the female staff said.
This medium further investigation revealed that Dr Dankaka also procured and distributed office furniture not only for the offices and staff at the headquarters but also for those at the various state offices throughout the federation.
The FCC Chairman also purchased property to be used for the Bayelsa State Office while ensuring the inauguration of a new state office for Cross River State.
“She has also ensured regular training and promotion of staff as at when due. When she came in, staff were being owed months of job peculiar allowances. She not only paid the backlog but also ensured enhancement,” another staff said.
It was learnt further that Dr Dankaka has paid backlogs of benefits being owed families of deceased members of staff of the Commission.
In three years, Dr Dankaka has enhanced and improved the administration of the Commission while also ensuring smooth running of policy implementation at the Commission. In fact, she’s is the real Madam Due Process.
For easy running of the Commission and its activities, she created 37 committees and made each Commissioner from the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chairman of the Committees, making sure that all the Commissioners has a committee under his or her supervision.
She produced plenary rules and ensured production of annual reports and audited accounts of the Commission to the President as at when due. This was not the case before her assumption of office.
To enhance the activities of the Commissioners and ease their assignments, she purchased and distributed project vehicles for each of the Commissioners while she also in the process of procuring land acquisition for the Commissioners.
Dr Dankaka thus, instituted the idea of monthly inspection of projects for Commissioners to monitor compliance with Federal Character rules at the various state offices.
Apart from this, she has also ensured enhancement and payment of project monitoring allowances to Commissioners as at when due while she has been consistent in organising regular workshops for Commissioners, MDAs and stakeholders at the zonal level in all the zones of the Federation.
Thus, level of public enlightenment and advocacy of the Commission has improved a lot, just as the Dankaka leadership at the FCC has commissioned a Digital Economy Center for the Commission to enhance its digital presence and activities.
To encourage MDAs to comply with Federal Character rules, she instituted Compliance Awards for MDAs.
“Her three years in office has really brought a breath of fresh air for the FCC. She’s indeed an action woman but that action packed tenure has been complemented with her humane nature. She’s indeed a mother,” a female staff stressed.
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha summed up the achievements of Dankaka at the Commission saying, “the FCC today is the testimony of her candour, innovation and bold leadership to confront the challenges and place the Commission back on track to achieve its statutory mandates”.
Thus, one can safely said it’s a confirmation of her sterling leadership qualities and astute administrative that have uplfit the Commission and today the FCC has improved tremendously on its Freedom of Information (FoI) and Transparency ranking.
Thus, for Dr Dankaka, it has been three years of taking FCC to greater heights. She’s indeed a woman of substance.
