Muheeba Farida Dankaka

Muheeba Dankaka OON
Born	(1965-01-02) 2 January 1965 (age 60) Offa
Education	Kaduna Polytechnic
Alma mater	Ahmadu Bello University
Occupations	Businessman industrialist
Years active	1977–present

Muheeba Dankaka OON is the chairman of the Federal Character Commission in Nigeria. She was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020 and confirmed by the Senate same year. Previously, she served as chairman of Kaduna State Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMMA). ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Early life and education

Farida is a native of Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria. She was born on the 10th of April 1961 in Offa, Kwara State. Nigeria

She attended St. Claire's Grammar School, Offa, for her West African Senior School Certificate Examination, and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for her diploma in insurance and her master's degree in business administration in 1981 and 1989 respectively. ^{[4] [2]}

Business career

She is the Director of Ijehu Oil and Gas Limited located in Kaduna State. ^[5] She is the CEO of Farida Business Venture Limited.

Controversies

• Job racketeering in 2023 there was an allegation of selling MDA jobs slots by the commissioners during the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating MDAs and parastatal and tertiary institutions chaired by Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, the commissioners claimed that Dankaka connived with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to stop a petition written against her on job racketeering. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}
• Certificate forgery May 23, 2023 a civil society organisation (CSO), Youth and Leadership Initiatives alleged that the chairman of the Federal Character Commission presented false information to the president Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to secure the chairmanship of the commission. ^{[10] [11] [12]}
• On 26, July 2021 Dankaka debunked the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against her by a group under the aegis of Youth and Leadership Initiative Group (LYGEL), claiming that the said allegation as false and despicable and believes that the allegations are false, despicable and desperately fuelled by clandestine motives. ^[13]

Awards and recognition

• National Honor of the Order of the Niger (OON) IN 2012 awarded by the president of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
• Honorary Award of the Doctor of Philosophy by the Pacific Western University, USA.

References

1. Nwafor (2 June 2020). "Senate confirms Dankaka as chairman, FCC, 36 others". Vanguard News. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
2. "Federal Character Commission". 18 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
3. "2012 National Honours Award list". Daily Trust. 2012.
4. "Dankaka and leadership at the FCC". Thisdaylive. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
5. "Ijehu Oil and Gas Limited Nigeria company profile - address, contacts, owners".
6. "Federal Character Commission chairwoman Farida Dankaka 'sells' MDA jobs for N7 million each to jobseekers: Officials". Peoples Gazette Nigeria. News Agency of Nigeria. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
7. "Drama as subordinates accuse commission chairman of lying to parliament to avoid investigation". premiumtimesng.com. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
8. "Federal Character Commission chair Dankaka faces fresh fraud allegations". Peoples Gazette Nigeria. News Agency of Nigeria. 2 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
9. "Farida Dankaka Archives". Vanguard News. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
10. Gbadebo, Bode (12 January 2024). "Police Grills FCC Chair Dankaka Over Alleged Certificate Forgery". leadership.ng. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
11. "Controversy trails FCC chair's MBA certificate". Daily Trust. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
12. Erezi, Dennis (17 January 2024). "Group wants Tinubu to suspend FCC chairman over alleged certificate forgery". The Guardian Nigeria News. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
13. Nwafor (26 July 2021). "FCC chairman, Dankaka debunks certificate forgery allegations". Vanguard News. Retrieved 28 November 2024.