Workers at the Federal Character Commission (FCC) on Thursday staged a peaceful protest against their boss, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka.
The protesting workers who carried placards with various inscriptions denounced the oppressive administration of Dankaka, lamenting that for the past five years, staff had been made redundant while their work was outsourced to outsiders.
Some of the placards read: “Dankaka has brought shame on Mr. President’s renewed hope agenda”. “No to sale of certificate of compliance and waiver in FCC,” among others.
One of the workers’ leaders in a video clip shared to SaharaReporters’ stated was overheard saying: “We are saying no to oppressive leadership. We are saying no to tyranny. We are saying no to no payment of retirees’ allowance. We are saying no to outsiders now taking our jobs.”
The workers also lamented the deplorable state of the commission’s state offices, which had been closed down due to lack of funding.
“There’s no water. There’s no security. All our state offices have been rendered redundant. All our state offices have been shut down. There’s no light, no water, salaries of contract staff she does not pay,” another leader said.
“What this woman is doing for the past five years is to negotiate slots for MDAs (Ministries, Departments, and Agencies). What we are saying is that Nigeria can be better, if the Federal Character is functional, insecurity will reduce if Federal character is functional, if distribution of jobs, amenities can go round Nigeria what is the call for agitation,” a worker’s leader emphasized.
The workers’ representatives, comprising the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), and Nigeria Union of Public Service Reportorial, Secretarial, Data Processors, and Allied Workers (NUPSRAW), have appealed for urgent intervention from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
In a letter dated June 26, 2025, the workers’ representatives alleged that Dankaka is making desperate efforts to return to office, allegedly through bribery. “Allegations are rife that she has paid the sum of Five Hundred Million Naira and this money will be shared among all the offices mentioned above for her reappointment,” the letter read.
The letter which was jointly signed by Comrade Benson Agbo Ameh, Chairman NCSU; Comrade Gidi-Fanimokun Uche, Chairman ASCSN and Comrade Franca Akpehwo, Ag Chairman NUPSRAW and copied to Chief of Staff to the President, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Head of Civil Service of the Federation, is titled: “A Passionate Appeal To Save-The-Soul Of Federal Character Commission.”
The workers emphasised that Dankaka’s leadership had been marked by rot and excesses, including taking away over 22 vehicles of the commission, indebtedness to electricity bills, and refusal to follow approved financial regulations.
“This woman deliberately made both the staff at the Head Office and State Offices redundant, using only her cronies to carry out assignments that are only beneficial to her,” the workers alleged.
“Her highhandedness has made all the staff to be withdrawn and live in perpetual fear because severally police will just appear at the Commission premises and begin to harrass staff without any reason(s) whatsoever and any form of complain or opposition will either be meted with posting to State Office or threat of sack or dismissal of service. Sir, it will not be an exageration if one will conclude that the Commission has gone comatose.”
They listed some of her actions that caused the sorry State of the Commission as: “i. Taking away of over 22 vehicles of the commission including the one retrieved from the just retired OverSeer of the Office the Secretary to the Commission.
“ii. Indebtedness of electricity bills to AEDC leading to the Commission’s light disconnected often.
“iii. Refusal to follow approved financial regulations leading to several investigations in the past and currently ongoing at ICPC, EFCC and the NASS.
“iv. Indiscriminate recruitment and appointment of new staff into the service of the Commission.
“v. 2023, 2024 and 2025 Promotion/Upgrading/Conversion not in accordance to lay rules and Public Service Rules.
“vi. Refusal to pay retirees/deceased staff benefits and repatriation allowances, especially those not in her good books.
“vii. Posting of staff without payment of transfer allowances and other entitlements.
“viii. Non-training of staff since her assumption of office in 2020
“ix. Suspension of salaries of staff on approved study leave without following due process and laid down rules and regulations.
“x. Stoppage of Salaries of 20 staff without due process on the ground that they were not audited during staff audit conducted in between December, 2024 and March, 2025.
“xi. Blatant refusal to allow the Overseer (Ag. Secretary to the Commission) despite the instruction via a letter from the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation.
“xii. Most times there is no water in the Commission and staff and cleaners have to go out to get from close by plaza. This makes the office complex to be always smelling, unhealthy and unconducive for work environment.
“xiii. No working materials as common as office stationery, printing toners, pens, etc.
“xiv. Collapsing of Constitutional Committees structures on which the main activities of the Commission runs for effective and efficient operation of the Commission
“xv. Unrelenting fight with Governing Board addition to the issue of insecurity currently plugging the nation, reappointing Dankaka will further exacerbate this situation.”
The workers called for a thorough investigation into the finances of the Commission since 2020 and urged the relevant agencies of government to take necessary action to prevent Dankaka’s reappointment.
“Should you need more clarification and with substantive evidences and proves, we will be more than glad to meet with you to provide such,” the workers’ representatives stated.
The protesting workers emphasised that Dankaka’s reappointment would be a mockery of the President’s renewed hope agenda and a political suicide to the whole mantra and aspirations of the President.