The Societal Safety Network (SSN) has faulted the allegations against the Chairperson of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Dr. Muheeba Farida Dankaka, describing the recent staff protest as a politically orchestrated attempt to derail ongoing reforms and tarnish her reputation.

The Guardian earlier reported that staff of the commission were locked up at its Abuja headquarters while demanding the immediate removal of Dankaka.

The aggrieved workers accused the FCC boss of alleged mismanagement, corruption, abuse of office, and violations of civil service regulations, claims SSN says are both spurious and suspiciously timed.

The Director, Public Relations of SSN, Comr. Suleiman Salaudeen, in a statement, described the protest as a “desperate ploy by power-seeking individuals and vested interests uncomfortable with the far-reaching reforms under Dr. Dankaka’s leadership.”

Salaudeen emphasised that many of the ongoing allegations are coming from individuals whose fraudulent activities, including the sale of job placements and contract manipulation, have been curtailed under Dankaka’s watch.

He said, “It is clear that this so-called protest was not a genuine grievance but a politically motivated charade, a desperate scheme by power-hungry elements and ambitious individuals jostling for her position.

“We make bold to state that Dr. Muheeba Dankaka’s stewardship at the helm of the FCC represents one of the most reform-driven and transparent eras in the history of the commission.

“Her tenure has been marked by uncommon courage, sweeping reforms, and a zero-tolerance approach to administrative rascality and internal racketeering that had, for years, plagued the commission.

“Under her leadership, several entrenched malpractices, notably the sale of job slots, contract scams, and internal trading of placement opportunities, were dismantled. This feat earned her both national recognition and expected resistance from those whose fraudulent privileges were disrupted. Dr. Dankaka has restored dignity, order, and credibility to a once-controversial Commission.”

Salaudeen called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stand firm in recognising and rewarding competence, dedication, and reform-minded leadership, and reappoint Dankaka as a clear signal that integrity still counts in public service.

He added, “Dr. Muheeba Dankaka is not a product of political sponsorship. She is a woman of impeccable character who has chosen the hard path of truth over the easy path of compromise.

“Her time as FCC Chairperson remains a turning point in the history of the commission, a woman who straightened the bend and revived an institution drifting toward irrelevance.

“The Societal Safety Network stands firmly behind her, and we urge all patriotic Nigerians, especially women, youth, and public servants, to resist the antics of desperate actors seeking to drag the FCC backwards.”