A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday issued a warrant of arrest on Dr. Abraham Nwanko, Director-General, Debt Management Office (DMO), and nine others, for failure to appear before it.
The others are Asmau Mohammed, Funmi Ilamah, Patience Oniha, Miji Amidu, James Olekah, Hannatu Suleiman, Joe Ugoala, Atiku Saleh and Magaji Mahmoud who are Directors and members of management staff.
The Federal Character Commission (FCC) had sued the persons on a four-count charge of failure to abide by the principles of federal character in DMO's recruitment in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Justice Abdul Kafarati issued the warrant following an application by counsel to the FCC, Mr Hussain Oloyede.
Oloyede had prayed the court to issue the warrant as none of the accused or their counsel appeared before the court when the case came up for mention on Wednesday.
In count one of the four charges, the FCC accused Nwanko of willfully obstructing a commissioner and three other workers of the commission from verifying staff data of the DMO in May, 2012.
It said that the offence contravened FCC Laws of the Federation, 2010.
In the second count, Mohammed, Director, Organisational Resourcing Department and 2nd accused, was charged with knowingly furnishing the FCC's Economic and Financial Services Committee with false/inaccurate information.
"That the DMO intended to fill 11 instead of 20 staff vacancies at a meeting held on the aforesaid in November 2010.''
Under count three, Nwanko, Ilamah, Oniha, Olekah, Suleiman, Ugoala, Saleh and Mahmoud, were charged with refusal to comply with lawful directives of the FCC in September 2011.
The FCC alleged that they failed to submit list of successful candidates for recruitment and also failed to apply for the issuance of "Certificate of Compliance'' from the commission.
In count four, Nwankwo, Oniha, Amidu, Ugoala, Saleh and Mahmoud were charged with refusal to apply the principle of federal character in the course of the 2010/2011 DMO's recruitment.
They were further accused of recruiting "candidates from the already over-represented states to wit: Abia, Adamawa, Imo, Kaduna, Kano and Niger''.
The post Court issues arrest warrant on DMO boss, 9 others (http://peoplesdailyng.com/court-issues-arrest-warrant-on-dmo-boss-9-others/) appeared first on Peoples Daily Newspaper, Nigeria (http://peoplesdailyng.com).
Peoples Daily Newspaper