- As Maina says: I was never sacked, still in active service; Malami, Eyo-Ita differ
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned a former Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Umar Munir Abubakar and four others for alleged diversion of N18 billion.
The cash was said to be contribution from the Federal Government as take-off grants and Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) for Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The others are Henry Ekhasomi Sambo, Adebayo Adebowale Aderibigbe, Chief Richard U. Uche and Aderemi Adegboyega.
The suspects were put on trial before Justice Silvanus Orji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, on a 26-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, abuse of office and illegal diversion of public funds.
A statement by the Head of the Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the suspects allegedly received ”kickbacks in dollars in the discharge of their duties, and conspired to divert the about N18 billion”.
The statement said: “Trouble started for Abubakar, a former managing director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), and his co-defendants (some of whom were former board members and current staff of NSITF), when a whistleblower petitioned the EFCC, accusing them of abusing their positions to divert public funds running to billions of naira.
“Acting on the petition, EFCC operatives investigated the allegations and after thorough investigations were carried out, it was revealed that between 2012 to 2015, they received kickbacks in dollars in the discharge of their duties, and conspired to divert the about
N18 billion, being contribution from the Federal Government as take-off grants and Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) for Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
”The said money was diverted into personal accounts by an e-payment mandate. The offence contravenes Section 311 of the Penal Code cap 532 LFN (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 312 of the same code.”
In the meantime, sacked Chairman of Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, yesterday, stunned the House of Representatives adhoc committee investigating his reinstatement into the public service that he was never sacked.
Maina’s statement came as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, denied knowledge of any letter reinstating him to office as a Deputy-Director in the Ministry of Interior.
But Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winfred Oyo Ita, insisted that there were letters from the AGF to the Federal Civil Service Commission, FCSC, directing Maina’s reinstatement.
This is even as the Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdurahman Dambazau, retd, said he had no hand in the reinstatement of the former presidential task team boss.
Meanwhile, the Senate, yesterday, raised the alarm that property recovered from Nigerians, organisations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC were allegedly being relooted by officials of the anti-graft agency.
Nation with additional report from Vanguard
