Ex-Minister Ngige grilled over alleged contract irregularities, job racketeering

Ex-Minister Ngige grilled over alleged contract irregularities, job racketeering

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has questioned Chris Ngige, former Minister of Labour and Employment during President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, over his alleged involvement in contract-related issues and job racketeering.

Sources revealed that Ngige was called in for questioning regarding contracts awarded within the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) during his tenure.

He reportedly spent around five hours with ICPC investigators on Wednesday, answering questions about the handling of these contracts.

Earlier, it was reported that the ICPC had summoned several top officials of NSITF, following the controversial payment of N47 million in gratuity to the agency’s former Managing Director, Mrs. Maureen Allagoa, while she was still in office.

In a related development, former Labour Minister Simon Lalong, who currently serves in the Senate, had established a special investigative committee to probe the suspected mismanagement of N1.8 billion worth of contracts at the NSITF.

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Both the ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been actively investigating the matter, with Ngige’s recent appearance before the ICPC marking the latest development.

He was reportedly invited to clarify the circumstances surrounding the approval of the multi-million-naira e-NSITF project by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) during Buhari’s presidency.

An ICPC source confirmed that Ngige was initially summoned while he was abroad for medical treatment in the United States.

“Yes, our investigators had a session with him. He was invited some time ago but was unavailable, as he was out of the country. He came in voluntarily yesterday (Wednesday) for questioning,” an official disclosed.

A close associate of Ngige emphasized that the former minister was not arrested, contrary to some reports. “He was invited to address certain claims made by staff members, and he went to the ICPC office voluntarily. After clarifying the issues related to ministerial and presidential approvals, he left.”

ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, when contacted, stated that he was unaware of the specific incident but promised to gather more information.

Ex-Minister Ngige grilled over alleged contract irregularities, job racketeering

(DAILY TRUST)