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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives yesterday resolved to probe the alleged diversion of N62.3 billion by the former board and management of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund( NSITF).
Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity to undertake the assignment and report back within six weeks.
In the discharge of its assignment, the committee is expected to investigate the utilisation of the funds of the agency from 2011 to date.
Also, the House urged the executive arm of government to urgently inaugurate the board of the NSITF and the board of other parastatals constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari recently.
This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Prestige Ossy under matters of urgent national importance “on the need to investigate the non-inauguration of the NSITF board and alleged fraudulent diversion of the sum of N62.3 billion by its past board,” at yesterday’s plenary.
Leading debate on the motion, Ossy said the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had discovered alleged diversion of a total of N62.3 billion at the NSITF, allegedly perpetrated by the past board and management of the agency as far back as 2015, and regretted nothing substantial had been done about the alleged fraud to date.
He equally expressed concern that that the Federal Government has not been able to inaugurate the NSITF board, nearly four months after it was re-constituted.
The lawmaker contended that the alleged fraud in NSITF and non-inauguration of (its) board has made it impossible for the agency to meet up its responsibility to the public.
“There is colosal waste and embezzlement of fund at the NSITF. The fund was raised through both government and private sector contributions. Till date, nothing has been done about the issue.
“I think it is necessary to look into the matter so as to bring those who embezzled the money to book,” Ossy said.
