The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has
alleged that the suspended management of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust
Fund (NSITF), misappropriated N48billion.
He spoke on Tuesday at an investigative hearing at the House
of Representatives.
Ngige stated that the management withdrew the amount through
fake contracts, proceeds of which were recycled into private pockets.
The minister said there were irregular payments of salaries
and allowances of N10million not in line with the condition of service of the
organisation.
The former Anambra governor claimed that the suspended
management went on leave abroad in first class with their spouses.
He alleged that they paid themselves N9.8million each
without the approval of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation
(SGF).
The minister accused them of engaging the services of legal
practitioners at the sum of N180million without the approval of the
Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Nigige added that they spent N146million on vehicles, and on
May 31, 2020, awarded 30 contracts worth N332billion, splitted into smaller
components of N49million.
The splitting, he explained, was to enable the transactions
to fall within the threshold allowed by law for the management to award.
The minister added that the suspended NSITF management spent
N570million on health insurance outside the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Ngige revealed that since 2012, the NSITF had not submitted
records of its audited accounts to the Office of the Auditor-General of the
Federation, in line with the extant laws.
He pointed out that the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) had since dragged the NSITF management to court on corruption
charges.
Ngige stressed that their suspension was approved by
President Muhammadu Buhari, following his recommendation.
When asked to tender documentary evidence of the
presidential approval, the minister only showed a letter to the lawmakers, but
refused to tender it as evidence.
The minister said he would consult with the President before
tendering the letter approving the suspension.
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