Follow Us on Google
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Sequel to claims in some quarters that Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, coerced former Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Micheal Akabogu, to sign certain documents in his favour, a source who sought anonymity has described the claim as baseless.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had sacked Akabogu for allegedly parading fake National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate.
“Government offices are such that nobody can be forced to sit in a position. If it is not working, you see that there is corruption, and you are such a saint in Nigeria the right thing to do is to resign and go.
“You do not keep quiet until a time when you were sacked before you remembered that this office is corrupt and you were trying to solve it.
“I would really want to know how a corrupt man would be the one trying to salvage a system.
“He needs to enlighten us on that. Nobody forced him to do anything. And if he felt he was being coerced, there is a way out.
“Use your pen, a resignation letter. I can’t do this and I would beg to leave. Not until you do that and it is rejected then we can talk about coercion. But Akabodu is a liar and cannot be trusted,” the Source said.
On the ex-NSITF MD’s claims on the unapproved purchase of property, the source explained that, “I do not know what property he is talking about. NSITF tried to purchase three properties. In fact four. We tried to buy properties in Lagos, Abuja, Dutse and Lafia. He was the same person that wrote to the Ministry of Lands and he is the one that followed through.
“We did not get the approval to buy the House and so we did not buy the house. So I do not know what the problem is.
“The buying of the House did not work, and we didn’t buy it. So I do not know what the procurement issue is. Every letter written was written by him. But unfortunately FEC did not approve so we didn’t buy any property.”
