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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
All appears not to be well at the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) as there have been allegations and counter-allegations of abuse of power and usurpation of responsibilities levelled against the Federal Commissioner, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
Some members of staff of NCFRMI had on November 26, 2021, petitioned the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, alleging high-handedness by Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
It would be recalled that in June, 2021, Sulaiman-Ibrahim took over from Basheer Garba Mohammed, who was redeployed to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) before his removal.
The petitioners told the minister that upon Sulaiman-Ibrahim’s assumption of office, she hired aides whom she entrusted with official tasks, alleging that she concealed the financial records of the commission and deployed and redeployed staff who questioned her dealings at will.
The letter, entitled: ‘Urgent Need to Rescue the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) from Collapse,’ read in part: “She brought about 15 technical aides from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), abandoning the NCFRMI staff in running the affairs of the commission.
“She made one Grace Ofonime whom she brought from a different ministry without any statutory engagement with the commission; either on transfer or on secondment, as her Chief of Staff (COS).
“The COS does not only sign official documents for the commission she also deputizes the commissioner while directors are jettisoned.
“There is also a lack of transparency in procurement matters. The HFC bullied Parastatals Tender Board (PTB) members and ensured that anticipatory approvals were done during the two PTB meeting she held since she assumed office.
“PTB members that raised concerns over the illegality of anticipatory approvals were talked down harshly and intimidated by the HFC.
“In one of the PTB meetings, she ordered the printing of contract award letters of capital jobs immediately without even the financial opening of capital jobs.
“As it is, except for her lackeys, the Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA), Usman Obadiah Rimamasomte, none of the PTB members have a complete picture of how all the funds allocated to the commission have been spent by the HFC.
“She deployed the Deputy Director, Procurement out of Procurement unit to training unit and a new Director of Procurement, Mr Adeoye was posted to the commission from Bureau of Public Procurement. After the PTB meeting of 5th November, 2021, Mr Obadiah who is from NAPTIP that was never seconded to the commission signed another letter of award of contract contravening the Procurement Act.
“This AD Procurement practically superintends the procurement processes of the commission even as he has no mandate in the commission. This is a precursor to financial fraud, which portrays the commission in a very bad light.”
Even before the NCFRMI staff raised the alarm over Sulaiman-Ibrahim’s dealings, the National Coordinator, Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko, at a press briefing tagged: ‘Time to Reform the National Refugees Commission, and Reposition the Agency’ had claimed that she was not qualified for the job.
Onwubiko, claimed that she did not have the requisite qualifications for the job as she was a special assistant to the Minister of State (Education) without basic requirements.
“Instructively, Ms. Sulaiman-Ibrahim was allegedly never qualified to head the agency with no known background in any related work but was appointed Special Assistant to Minister of State (Education), then DG NAPTIP (contrary to the Act establishing the agency), and then deployed to NCFMI after six months at NAPTIP,” he said.
He alleged that Sulaiman-Ibrahim awarded a contract of N35 million for the furnishing of her office, of which the former Commissioner, Mohammed had refurbished before leaving; describing the expenditure as a misplaced priority.
According to Onwubiko, most of the zonal offices in Maiduguri, Enugu, Yola, Kano, Kebbi do not have basic amenities for smooth operations.
“The Maiduguri, Enugu, Yola, Kano, Kebbi, and Ilorin zonal and field offices are seriously lacking in furniture and working tools. Gentlemen of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, kindly visit these offices to see for yourselves.”
To this end, he called on President Muhammadu Buhari to, “immediately investigate the allegations and if found to be meritorious and credible then relieve Mrs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim of her appointment as the Honourable Federal Commissioner (HFC)/CEO of the Refugees Commission to save the souls of the IDPs, refugees, and other persons of concern and before more harm is done to the mandate of the Commission.”
But, the accused, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, dismissed all the allegations, describing them as rumour peddled by ‘agents of darkness’.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim, in a statement, by her Head of Media, Samson Ikemitang, said that those who are hell-bent on assassinating her character with fictitious allegations and publications should embrace truth and stop the spread of falsehood.
She assured Nigerians that the commission was poised than ever before to deliver on its mandate and put the country on the global map of addressing issues on refugees and migrants.
“Agents of darkness and unpatriotic personalities have strategised to destroy the good works that the commission was doing,” she said.
According to her, President Buhari and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq were not wrong to have moved her to the commission as they wanted the best for it, adding that the goals and objectives of the commission are bigger than the ambition of any individual.
“When I assumed office about five months ago, I promised to work in peace, harmony, equity and justice to achieve the mandate of the commission as a team and as individuals, don’t forget that whatever I am doing in the commission now is a complementation of the former head of the commission because he had done a lot concerning the 2021 budget, contracts and expenditures before I took over.
“Indeed, one will not agree less that these cooked figures represent desperate and orchestrated attempt to rubbish the good reputation of the HFC, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
“However, I want to affirm and inform the world that, the commission is now poised to deliver on its mandate and put Nigeria on the global map of refugees and migrants and we are currently motivating our staff and making efforts to train them and build their capacity in addressing issues of IDPs, Refugees, Migrants and other Persons of Concern. We are focused and on course to deliver on our mandate.
“NCFRMI is open for audit. I am just five months old on this position and we have a lot to do to deliver on our mandate and we shall not allow agents of distraction and unpatriotic elements to bring us down and we are determined to move the commission forward to the promise land, where President Buhari, Sadiya Umar Farouq and the UN would be proud of.
“I love all my staff and would never intimidate anyone because love, peace and unity are all we profess at the commission.”
