NARICT DG denies corruption allegations

By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

The Director-General National Research Institute For Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria, Prof. Jeffrey Barminas, has been accused of corruption and abuse of office by the Network For Justice.

The rights group has consequently lodged a petitioned with the Minister of Science and Technology, and Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

A copy of the petition, signed by one Auwalu Musa, an official of the NGO, obtained by News Express on Sunday, also accused the NARICT DG of corruption and use of ethnic and religious sentiments in running the affairs of the institution.

The group alleged that the D-G had applied partiality in the institution’s promotion exercise: “non-remittance of Internally Generated Revenue, witch-hunting in the transfer of staff and irregularity in contract awards.”

According to petitioners, the actions of the D-G contravened the provisions of the fifth Schedule, Part one, Sections one and nine of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) as amended.

The petitioners appealed to the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to set up an administrative inquiry into the activities of the NARICT boss to confirm the contents of their petition so as to save the institution from collapse.

The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in a response letter issued by M .E. J. Bassey, Director, Department of Chemical Technology (for the Honorable Minister) and obtained by News Express in Kaduna, said “the petition is receiving attention by the ministry.”

The letter reads: “I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your petition dated January 25 on the above subject matter.

“Kindly note that your petition is receiving the needed attention.”

However, the NARICT DG while responding to the petition in Zaria said the allegations against him are false claims meant only to distract management from its duties.

“Corruption and abuse of office allegations against me by the Network For Justice was only meant to distract my management from discharging its mandate,” he said.

Barminas said that the petition from Network for Justice was similar to the previous petitions against him, reason being that the content were similar with just a few modifications which he also said were false claims.

The D-G said he responded to the petitions to both the Minister of Science and Technology and the Chairman of NARICT Governing Board.

He said when he assumed office in 2017, he met only three functional outstations, he created additional three outstations to reflect the six geopolitical zones with the approval of the minister.

On the allegation of non-remittance of monthly staff rent to TSA, the DG said “the claim was a fabrication of lies as the petitioners failed to attach any evidence to support the allegation.”

He said that rents were considered as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and N7,529.732.50 being the remittances from staff salaries from 2017 to 2020 had been paid to Treasury Single Account (TSA) as required by law.

On diversion of Budget funds, the D-G said the petition did not explain how the budget was diverted looking at the period he took over in 2017.

“There is a huge difference between how budget funds were utilized before the period of my administration.  I had to set up a transition Committee on assumption of duty in the absence of handing over notes.

“The investigations reports from the Anti-Corruption and transparency Unit (ACTU) gives a clear picture of the financial and budgetary infractions by my predecessors in office,” he said.

According to him, the alleged financial infraction as indicated against ACTU/NARICT included  misapplication / misappropriation of budget funds, non-implementation of approved projects with cash backing and movement of institute’s property without documentation.