Politics

“N30bn Missing From NSITF” – Chris Ngige

Published

6 years ago

March 10, 2018

The minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, in line with a presidential directive, yesterday inaugurated all the boards of parastatals under the Ministry of Labour except the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) due to the huge fraud discovered in the agency.

The boards inaugurated by the minister include those of the National Productivity Centre (NPC), National Directorate of Employment (NDE), and Michael Imoudu National institute for Labour Studies (MINILS).

LEADERSHIP Weekend recalls that the president had in October 2017 constituted the board of the NSITF with the former president of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Chief Frank Kokori, as the chairman.

However, giving reasons why the board was not inaugurated alongside others yesterday, Ngige said he had the consent of the president to stay action on inaugurating the NSITF board the pending the outcome of the administrative enquiry recently set up by the ministry to investigate the mindless looting of the agency.

The minister urged members of the other boards so 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 and the provisions 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 account for five years. A whooping sum of N5billion 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.

“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 N5 billion was taken in one day, that’s not the only amount missing. Over N30billion cannot be accounted for and the members of the past board participated actively in the looting.

Politics

Tinubu Inherited Govt Almost In A coma, Says Governor Abiodun

Published

2 days ago

November 27, 2023

lagoslately

“The President Tinubu-led administration has been very bold and audacious. They have taken the bull by the horns. They’ve done what no government had done in the history of Nigeria.

“Tinubu inherited an administration that was almost comatose. I believe this government is very bold and taking the bull by the horns.

“President Tinubu has been able to do what no president has ever been able to do in the history of Nigeria.

“President Tinubu deregulated the petroleum industry to save Nigerians.” -Governor Dapo Abiodun, Ogun On Channels Television’s Sunday Politics

Politics

Nigerians Are Extremely Difficult To Govern — Buhari Says In His First Interview Since Leaving Office

Published

1 week ago

November 21, 2023

lagoslately

He said: “God gave me the opportunity to serve my country, but I did my best. But whether my best was good enough, I leave for people to judge.”

“Nigerians are extremely difficult. People know their rights. They think they should be there, not you.

“So, they monitor virtually your every step. And you have to struggle day and night to ensure that you are competent enough.”

News

‘We’ve Arrested Ajaero’s Attackers’, NSA Begs Labour

Published

2 weeks ago

November 15, 2023

lagoslately

National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, on Wednesday apologised to the organised labour over the attack on President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, Imo State capital, on November 1.

Ajaero, who stormed Owerri to lead a protest, was severely beaten and detained for hours.

Consequently, the labour gave government an ultimatum to meet some demands, including arresting those behind the attack on Ajaero, threatening to begin nationwide strike if the demands were not met.

The Federal Government had gone to court to restrain labour, but the strike commenced on Monday, paralysing activities across the nation.

In a statement signed by the Head of Strategic Communications in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari U Mijinyawa, on Wednesday, Ribadu urged the movement to rescind its decisions on the ongoing strike , adding that attackers of Ajaero have been arrested and investigations had commenced.

Ribadu said the federal government regrets the incident that happened in Imo and condemns it in its entirety, noting that it was against the rule of law and the principles of freedom of association and expression subscribed to by President Tinubu and his administration.