Reactions Trail FCC Chairman, Dankaka’s Certificate Scandal …Group calls on Tinubu to suspend FCC Chairman, Dankaka over certificate, identity Scandal

Reactions continued to trail the Executive Chairman, of the Federal Character Commission, Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka who was embroiled in an alleged certificate forgery scandal, leading to her invitation and grilling for over 5 hours by the Nigerian Police Force CID, last week.

The media was awash last week on how the Chairman, of the Federal Character Commission, Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka was grilled by the Nigerian Police over alleged certificate forgery and presentation of false information to get appointed as Chairman of the Commission.

Following the media backlash with Dr Dankaka’s denials of parading forged certificates, a good government advocate that styles itself as Justice and Equity in Nigeria Leadership (JENL) has called on President Bola Tinubu-led’s administration to suspend Dr.

The group disclosed this in a statement jointly signed by its National Convener, Chief Adegoke Ojo, and Spokesman, Comrade Ebubu Ukah on Monday, in Abuja. JENL noted that the Federal Character Commission is a very critical Commission with a huge responsibility, hence it cannot be left in the hands of a Chairman whose true identity and certificates have become controversial and therefore, cannot be ascertained.

“We wish to call on our amiable President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmad Tinubu to rise again to the occasion to suspend the the Executive Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka who has been embroil in a certificate forgery scandal, and presentation of false information to the Presidency and the Senate to get appointed.

“Sir, we are making this call considering the critical role the Federal Character Commission plays in stabilizing our democracy. Having someone with identity and certificates scandal hanging on her head will bring the Commission and her works into disrepute, hence there is a need for her to step aside until the police clear her of these weighty allegations.

“We also call on the authority of the Nigerian Police to as a matter of urgency expedite actions on the ongoing investigation and make public their findings on the true identity and certificates of Muheeba Farida Dankaka.
“We are concerned that the noticeable discrepancies in Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka’s names in her Primary School Leaving Certificate, WAEC, First Degree, NYSC, and Masters Degree certificates can’t be mere “errors” of spelling or abbreviations as her spin doctors want us to believe.

“We are convinced that there is more to it than meets the eye. We, therefore, call on Mr President to show leadership as he has displayed recently not to tolerate corruption in the pursuit of his Renewed Hope Agenda by suspending the embattled Chairman of Federal Character Commission, Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka, and ordering a full-scale investigation into the certificate forgery scandal and other malfeasance that is rocking the Commission.”

Recall that Civil Society Organization, Youth and Leadership Initiatives had petitioned Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Garki, Abuja, in May, 2023 alleging that Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka, presented false information to the Presidency and the National Assembly to secure the Chairmanship of the Commission.

Following this petition and public outcry generated by the discrepancies in the names of her different certificate, the police in a letter with reference number 3000/X/FHQ/ABJ/PSFU/BIFF/VOL.51/014, Dated 8th January 2024, signed by DCP Tahir Usman P, 3p Deputy Commissioner of Police For: Commissioner of Police (PSFU), Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), invited Dr Muheeba Farida Dankaka for questioning.

A police source added that Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka was grilled at the police office last week from noon till after 5 pm and she was asked to report back today, 17th January with original certificates. And, when asked to put down her statement in writing, “she couldn’t write a sentence as a statement and had to rely on her lawyer to write her statement to the police. Her failure to write statements herself to the police may further confirm that the certificates being paraded may have been forged.”

And corroborating this fact, a staff of FCC who spoke to us anonymously said: “I worked closely with Madam Muheeba Farida Dankaka for sometimes, the truth is that she cannot construct and write a sentence in English, hence she engages a consultant to do most of her jobs, even those that can be done by the Commission’s staff because she doesn’t want staff to know that she can’t write.”
Another Police source who spoke to us anonymously added that a letter from the police authority to the office of the registrar to confirm the Master’s Degree paraded by Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka, came back and Ahmadu Bello University denounced the certificate.

The school in her reply said, “I wish to inform you that the available records in the University revealed that the photocopy of the certificate attached to your letter didn’t emanate from this University.”

Part of the petition by Youth and Leadership Initiatives to the police reads: “We are a non-profit organization focusing on leadership and public accountability in Nigeria. It’s upon these objectives we are writing your office to inform you of the noticeable falsification of the certificate, identity falsification, and presentation of false information on oath against Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka on which her appointment was made and confirmed by Mr. President and the Senate.

“That “Dr.”Muheeba Farida Dankaka OON presented several documents that are inconsistent with each other. These are as follows:

“Dr.” Muheeba (Farida) Dankaka refers to herself as ‘Dr’. When in fact she holds no Ph.D degree in any recognized university. The acclaimed Honorary Doctor of Philosophy that she holds was issued by an institution that was not recognized and or accredited by the National Universities Commission. National Universities Commission had declared Pacific Western University. Denver, Colorado, USA, Owerri study campus as illegal and thereby shut it down. Meanwhile, Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka was issued with the certificate in 2007 and her name appears as MUHEEBA H. DANKAKA. This name is also at variance with the present name she bears ‘Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka.

“On the face of the Master’s degree certificate copy attached to her Curriculum Vitae, her name is Muiba Nike Salau. This name is at variance with the present name she bears ‘Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka. While her marriage name Dankaka substituted for Salau or Salawu, the name Nike is not on any of the appointment documents.

“On the face of the first-degree certificate dated August 1986, her name is Muibat Adenike Salawu. This is also at variance with the name she claimed to bear and supplied to the Presidency and the Senate during screening and the name with which she officially signs all documents. Conversely, her name on the NYSC discharge certificate which reads Salau, Mulbat Nike is also at variance with the name on the first-degree certificate which reads Mulbat Adenike Salawu.

“On the face of the West African Examinations Council School Certificate obtained in 1978, her name is ‘Salawu Muibat Adenike’. This is also at variance with the name she claimed to bear and supplied to the Presidency and the Senate during screening and the name with which she officially signs all documents.