N3.4b fraud: FG reconstitutes NSITF board, sacks MD, others
THE President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has approved the sacking of the top management staff of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund over alleged N3.4bn fraud.
The NSITF Managing Director and Chief Executive, Bayo Somefun, and the Executive Directors in charge of Finance, Jasper Azuatalam; Investment, Operations, and Administration, Tijani Sulaiman and Human Resources, Mrs Olukemi Nelson, were also relieved of their positions.
Also dismissed were the nine top management officers hitherto on suspension alongside the MD and EDs.
The decision, which took effect from July 1, 2020, was sequel to the approval of the recommendations in the Report of the Presidential Joint Board and Audit Investigation Panel set up by the President in July 2020 to investigate the infractions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and the Financial Regulations in the NSITF.
This was contained in a statement on Monday by the Ministry of Labour and Employment spokesman, Mr Charles Akpan.
It disclosed that the officials were sacked on the recommendations of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.
The MD of NSITF and its management staff were said to have lavished N3.4bn on non-existent staff training split into about 196 different consultancy contracts in order to evade the ministerial tender’s board and Federal Executive Council approvals.
The statement said, “In approving the implementation of the recommendations in the panel report, the President specifically approved the removal from office of the MD/CE and the three Executive Directors and their immediate replacement from the pool of General Managers of the NSITF and if necessary, sourcing of capable hands from sister corporate organisations to uplift performance in the NSITF.
“Messrs Bayo Somefun, Jasper Azuatalam, Tijani Sulaiman and Mrs. Olukemi Nelson were therefore relieved of their appointments with effect from 1st July, 2020.
“Also relieved of their appointments were the nine top management officers on suspension with the MD and EDs who had their appointments terminated compulsorily with some to be retired after demotion in ranks from their present ranks as recommended by the panel.”
The panel further recommended that Somefun and the three EDs should refund to the NSITF treasury N181.056m being illegal overpayments in salaries, allowances for overseas travels, leave allowances for self and spouses in overseas, house allowance, DSTV and club registration and extraneous allowances not approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
Other nine top management staff whose appointments were terminated for various infractions and who have also benefitted from the excess remuneration are also to refund such overpayments to the panel.
The staff are General Manager, Administration, Bashorun Olumide; General Manager, Finance and Accounts, Alhaji Lawan Tahir; General Manager, Claims and Compensation, Chris Esedebe; Deputy General Manager, Finance, Enyinanya Sike and Deputy General Manager, Training, Dorothay Tukura. Punch
