Alleged graft: EFCC, ICPC urged to sanitise NSITF
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Civil Society Coalition Against Corruption has charged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), to look into the books of the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), and weed out corruption.
According to the petition, signed on behalf of the coalition by Ayodeji Ologun of the Transparency and Accountability Group (TAG), on Friday, said some funds were deducted from workers’ salaries in 2022, but not remitted to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
He complained that the non-remittance of deducted workers’ tax was too weighty to be swept up under the carpet.
He alleged that the funds were invested with a company not approved by the board, instead of being remitted to the FIRS.
Ologun said: “As a leading anti-corruption group in Nigeria, We have keenly watched happenings in this agency over the last two years and have painstakingly identified and investigated some of these frauds, particularly those related to procurement and non-remittance of taxes.
“We call on both the EFCC and ICPC to ensure that these funds are not looted by people masquerading as lovers of the masses.
“We demand that these contractors be investigated thoroughly to ascertain whether they genuinely took contracts from the agency or are merely fronting for corrupt officials.
“We demand that those found culpable should honourably resign and tender unreserved apologies to Nigerians for superintending and making the agency more corrupt.”
