Ngige Arrested Over Contracts, Job Racketeering
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has quizzed former minister, Dr Chris Ngige, over his role in some contracts and jobs racketeering that happened in one of the agencies when he held sway.
Ngige was Minister in charge of Labour and Employment Ministry in the cabinet of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former Minister was said to be with the crack detectives of the ICPC for about five hours on Wednesday to answer some probing questions on how some contracts were awarded in the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), according to Daily Trust.
ICPC had invited some top officials of the NSITF for questioning over payment of N47million gratuity to the immediate-past MD of the agency, Mrs Maureen Allagoa, when she was still serving.
It was reported in December 2022 that Ngige subtly approved a last-minute N20billion contract for the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSTIF) as documents obtained showed.
It was gathered that Ngige allegedly hurriedly approved the contract without any diligent process in order to use the means as a conduit to have access to alleged N20billion government funds.
According to the contract papers, it was a contract agreement between the NSTIF Management Board and one P2E Technologies said to located at Adeleye Close, Utako, Abuja, and titled, “Procurement of E-NSITF Digitalisation/ Automation of the Fund’s activities and processes (E-Infrastructure.”
Top sources said that if urgent steps were not taken to stop the minister, the said contract would lead to the withdrawal of at least N20billion from the NSTIF’s coffers.
“This is one of too many fictitious Contracts awarded that will not be executed within this short ministerial cabinet reshuffle. This is an Emergency Contract Agreement Awarded by the NSITFMB. It was hurriedly prepared by the Head of Legal Department and it was transferred to one Madam Ijeoma Okoronkwo, Board Secretariat Office Department on Thursday,” the source had revealed.
“The said contractor who was already seated at the Madam Board Secretary’s Office signed the Agreement. The Contract Agreement was immediately smuggled to Ngige on same Thursday by the Board Secretary of the NSITF for the minister’s urgent consideration. This is one of such Emergency contracts in the midst of many others,” another source had confirmed.
“If the NSITF Accounts are not immediately frozen between now and next week, minimum of N20billion will be lost. Minister Ngige has prepared this last minute contract of N20billion before he later decided to withdraw his presidential ambition.”
Earlier, Ngige said he had withdrawn from the 2023 presidential race and he hence remained in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet as a minister.
