Why Ngige Suspended Me- NSITF Boss
Juliet Uduji
The Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Mr Adebayo Kolawole Somefun who was suspended by the Minister of Employment, Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige on Monday gave reasons why the Minister did that.
According to him, the Minister was after him because he bluntly refused to approve some illegal requests brought to him while in office.
Somefun made the disclosure when he appeared appreared before the Adhoc Committee of the House of Representatives investigating the reported arbitrary breach of Presidential directives on staff discipline by Ngige and the Minister of Power, in NSITF, NBET and TCN respectively.
He also alleged that one of his perceived sins was that Ngige wanted to introduce a “special promotion” scheme for the Fund which he said he totally rejected on the ground that it breaches Rules of the Civil Service , and could lead to bad blood amongst staff.
According to the suspended MD, another issue he had with the Minister was the payment of about N85 million to a consultant, for training yet to be carried out. He said the payment was made on the instruction of Ngige when he was not in town.
“I have to personally issue the GM Finance a query, and I think that was one of my sins”.
Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Mariam Onuoha said the Committee was set up to investigate Procedural Breach of the Presidential Directives by both the Ministers of Labour and Employment and Power, the Alleged Breach in Procurement Procedures and Financial Malpractices and Malfeasance by those Agencies.
She said that the House considered the allegations to be of serious nature, very weighty, grave and worthy of the attention and concern generated at Public discuss.
According to her, “the matter before us today is the case of the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment who was alleged to unilaterally without due process prescribed in the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund NSITF Act, procured Presidential Directive, to suspend the Top Management of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), over alleged infractions of the Public Procurement Act and Financial Regulations by the Top Management of the NSITF.”
She told the Committee that she received a letter from Minister that he was indisposed and so would not be in attendance, suggesting a time slot for Thursday, since he would be attending the FEC meeting on Wednesday.