Connect with us

Featured

Nationwide Strike Looms Over N30bn NSITF Fraud

Published

on

By Ozioma Ubabukoh

Nigerians should brace for a nationwide strike as workers have bemoaned the Federal Government’s attitude over the N30bn fraud allegedly perpetuated by the last Board of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund and have threatened to down tools soon.

According to labour unions in the country, the NSITF, set up to bring succour to the working class, has been looted over the years and it has not been able to fulfil the reason for its establishment.

Trouble started for a former Managing Director of the NSITF, Umar Abubakar, and his co-defendants, (some of who are former board members and current staff of the Fund), when a whistle-blower petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accusing them of abusing their positions to divert public funds running into billions of naira.

Acting on the petition, EFCC operatives investigated the allegations and it was alleged that between 2012 and 2015, the accused received kickbacks in dollars while discharging their duties “and conspired to divert about N18bn, being contribution from the Federal Government as take-off grants and Employees Compensation Scheme for Ministries, Departments and Agencies.”

The EFCC said the money was diverted into personal accounts by an e-payment mandate. The offence is said to contravene Section 311 of the Penal Code cap 532 LFN (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 312 of the same code.

The United Labour Congress called on the administrative panel of enquiry recently set up by the Ministry of Labour and Employment to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged looting of the funds, and insisted that the government must bring the culprits to book “or risk a nationwide strike from all the labour unions in the country.”

In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Sunday, the General Secretary, ULC, Didi Adodo, said, “The ULC wishes to state categorically that we support this probe and any other action that the minister will take to sanitise the industry and make the NSITF to fulfil the aims and objectives of its existence.

“Hearing about the rot and the plundering that has taken place in that agency is enough for any right-thinking organisation and comrades to support a major probe that will not only unearth what has taken place, but to also bring the perpetrators to justice.”

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, in line with a presidential directive, had recently inaugurated all the boards of parastatals under the ministry except that of the NSITF due to the alleged fraud discovered in the agency.

The boards inaugurated by the minister are those of the National Productivity Centre, National Directorate of Employment, and Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in October 2017 constituted the Board of the NSITF with the former President of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Chief Frank Kokori, as the chairman.

Giving reasons why the board was not inaugurated alongside others, Ngige said he had the consent of the President to stay action on the NSITF board pending the outcome of the administrative panel of enquiry set up by the ministry “to investigate the mindless looting of the agency.”

He urged members of the other boards inaugurated to be accountable in the discharge of their mandates to avoid a repeat of the rot in the NSITF.

Ngige said, “The operations of the various parastatals must strictly conform to financial regulations, especially Section 32 of the Procurement Act. The audited accounts of the parastatals must always be prepared and submitted to the relevant authorities as and when due.

“The NSITF, for example, is reeling from massive looting with no audited accounts for five years. A whooping sum of N5bn was unearthed by an audit panel of enquiry as having been taken out of the NSITF coffers with First Bank in a single day without vouchers.”

The minister added, “Worse still, the organisation maintained no cash book as required by financial regulations. This resulted in massive looting of funds by board members acting in concert with the management staff.

“When we say N5bn was taken in one day, that’s not the only amount missing. Over N30bn cannot be accounted for and the members of the past board participated actively in the looting.”

Adodo, however, said that members of the ULC hoped that after the probe, “the NSITF will be put in proper shape to deliver on its mandate.”

“We call on the government to do a detailed investigation about the fraud in the NSITF and Trustfund, as no stone should be left unturned. These two bodies have workers’ funds, their life savings and, in this era of the fight against corruption, there should be no sacred cow,” he added.

The ULC Deputy President, Igwe Achese, who shared Adodo’s views, demanded to know the roles that the representatives of labour and private sector on the board of the NSITF played in the alleged fraud.

He said, “The probe should be extended to the board members that served in the last tenure and they should be arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and relevant security agencies for prosecution. We need to know the roles and actions of all the board members, including representatives of labour when the fraudulent activities took place, as they were supposed to represent workers’ interest.

“If the representatives of labour were involved, Nigerian workers should rise up against the board members for not protecting their hard-earned life savings.”

Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress represented the organised labour on the NSTIF board, but when our correspondent contacted some of them, they declined speaking on the matter.

One of them said, “You know those who represented us on the board. Why not reach out to them.”

Achese said that the board members from the organised labour did not do well in protecting the workers’ savings, “which led to the high magnitude of fraud and embezzlement.”

“Therefore, they should be made to face the wrath of the law,” he added.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Featured

US-Based Group Endorses Sunny Irakpo As Brand Ambassador

Published

on

By

United States of America based organizations, Dawkins Development Group Inc. and Flip These Bricks Academy have made a renowned Anti-drug advocate, Host/Producer Interview45 and founder/ president Silec Initiatives, a brand Ambassador for Africa, to champion developmental projects and Initiatives that will engage the teeming youth population into meaningful socio-economic activities that has the potential to grow the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of Nigeria.

The Chairman/President, Dawkins Development Group Inc. and Flip These Bricks Academy in New York United States of America, Daniel Salem Dawkins made this known in an official letter addressed to Amb. Sunny Irakpo.

Dawkins Development Group Inc. New York United States of America, is a real estate and property development organization that specializes in design/building residential and commercial construction,land development, building remodeling, Roofing, restoration and handyman services for private and public clients and investors. The management of the organization stated that they are excited about the endorsement of amb. Sunny Irakpo, which to a large extent help create positive investment opportunities in the United States and Africa.

They added that your dedication and commitment to human and societal development which aligned with our organization’s values and vision to impact human lives , empower the younger generations to make the world a better place.

Responding to the endorsement, amb. Sunny Irakpo, thanked the Chairman of Dawkins Development Group Inc. and Flip These Bricks Academy for considering him for the noble venture to drive the next generation in job creation opportunities.

As part of his efforts to rid the country of drug abuse and addiction, the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State His Excellency Sen Douye Diri through the office of the Special Adviser on Trade and Investment to the Governor of Bayelsa State Mrs Owanari Rowland Harry recently , approved SILEC partnership to build the capacity of youth in the state.

Irakpo is of the view that with the endorsement by Dawkins, a testament that hard work and patience pays.

Irakpo added that the opportunity provided by Dawkins Development Group Inc. and Flip These Bricks Academy, development will further address social vices such as drugs and substance disorder amongst youth in Bayelsa State in particular and Nigeria in general.

Continue Reading

Featured

Springs of Joy Launches, Storms Ogun, Lagos for Widow’s Welfare, Distributes Wholesome Palliatives

Published

on

By

By Eric Elezuo

In furtherance of her activities geared towards affecting lives of the indigents, with special emphasis on widows, the Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation has once again spread its wings of kindness and passion to the widows of Nigeria. This was a follow-up to its earlier reach out conducted in May 2024 where over 250 widows were presented with food items in an event tagged Food Pantry and Medical Checkup for Widows.

In August 2024, the Founder of the Foundation, Mrs Anastasia Daniel, in company of her husband, arrived Nigeria from their base in the United States of America, and stormed some nooks and crannies of the nation with bags of smiles and hope for widows following a well attended launch of the Foundation in Surulere, Lagos.

It would be recalled that earlier in the year, at a well organized event held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Christ Disciples Parish, Surulere, Lagos, which the Resident Pastor, Richard Umoren, graciously gave out, the Foundation released diverse and assorted food items to deserving widows, as well as conducted free medical checkups to ascertain the state of the health of the widows, using the best of medical personnels, drawn from the Christian Medical and Dental Association, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) chapter.

Kickstarting the avalanche of humanitarian efforts, Mrs Daniel and her team of Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation caregivers embarked on several impactful events to support widows in different parts of Nigeria, thereby furthering its mission of empowerment and care.

At a Food Pantry Event held at Ilogbo, Ogun State, the foundation conducted a food distribution event, where 133 widows were empowered.

According to Mrs Daniel, who consistently told her story of growing up with her widowed mother, each widow received essential food items, including rice, beans, garri, noodles and bags of sachet water.

“This initiative was aimed at addressing the immediate food needs of the widows and providing them with a sense of relief and support during these challenging times,” Mrs. Daniel said.

At the official launch of the Foundation, which was juxtaposed with a Fundraising ceremony in Surulere, Lagos, with about 100 guests in attendance, Mrs. Daniel assured stakeholders and guests of her Foundation’s readiness to spread good tidings to as many Nigerians in need as possible, maintaining that the day was specially designed to raise awareness about the foundation’s cause and generate financial support for its ongoing and future initiatives.

The event drew together notable television personalities, founders of other organizations, and influential individuals, giving it a high-profile status.

As a followup to the Launch, the Foundation undertook a Food Pantry Event at the Assemblies of God Church, Coker Orile, Lagos, where a remarkable 310 widows received free food items, ranging from rice, beans, garri, spaghetti, to bags of sachet water. Each widow present at the event received a generous helping of all the items. This event further extended the foundation’s reach, ensuring that more widows received the support they needed.

ABOUT SPRING OF JOY FOR WIDOWS FOUNDATION 

The Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation is a non-profit organization established to empower and uplift widows by providing them with basic necessities, emotional support, and opportunities for a better future.

Through these empowerment events, the foundation aims to ease the burden of widowhood, provide food security, and foster a sense of community and belonging among widows.

According to the Founder, “Each initiative is a step towards achieving a long-term empowerment opportunity for widows, ensuring they have the resources and support to lead dignified lives.”

The Foundation is an NGO committed to making a profound difference in the lives of widows, addressing their unique challenges, and ensuring they lead lives of dignity, independence, and purpose.

It is further rooted in a deep sense of compassion, equality, and social justice, with the goal of creating a world where widows are not marginalized, but celebrated for their resilience and strength.

Mrs Daniel, a Nigerian citizen of Enugu extraction, is an embodiment of compassion, who has taken it upon herself to contribute to the upliftment of the indigent, using the widows as a starting point.

She strongly believe that the fact that a woman has lost has husband, does not mean that she has lost her purpose, self-will and destiny goal, maintaining that “Every widow is still destined for greatness no matter the circumstances.”

Continue Reading

Featured

Connect Initiative Begins Membership Revalidation and Recruitment Exercise

Published

on

By

Connect Initiative, a socio-political organisation based in Akwa Ibom State has launched a thorough membership revalidation and recruitment exercise aimed at enhancing its membership and impact on the society.

The group whose main aim is to support and promote the projects and programmes of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno as encapsulated in his economic blue print, ARISE Agenda, intends to use this exercise to re-energize its membership.

According to the group’s International Connector, Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, “This exercise demonstrates our commitment to open our membership to persons that share our goal of supporting our Governor, Pastor Umo Eno.

Furthermore, it seeks to revalidate existing membership to ensure alignment with its standards., attract new talents to join the group and strengthen the organization’s capacity to deliver on its aims and objectives.

To participate in the exercise, which is strictly for registered voters in Akwa Ibom State, you are expected to click this link: https://support.umoeno.com and use the code: SG-CNRGKFF8SE.

Continue Reading

Trending