Senate summons former NSITF MDs over N84bn misappropriation, missing documents

The Senate has summoned the former Managing Directors of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) over some missing financial documents in the agency.

Among the former MDs of NSITF expected to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee are Alhaji Umar Munir Abubakar, Adebayo Somefun and a former Chairman of the agency, Ngozi Olejeme.

The investigative panel, under the chairmanship of Senator Mathew Urhoghide, resolved to invite the former Managing Directors following the failure of the officials of the agency to respond to the queries from the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation on unravelling financial infractions in the NSITF. Urhoghide had disclosed last week that out of 50 queries of the Auditor-General of the Federation to the Trust Fund, the committee was able to establish that N84 billion was misappropriated by the officials of the agency.

When the panel resumed investigation on the queries of the Auditor-General to the agency last week, it was discovered that the establishment was unable to present any financial documents relating to the issue raised by the committee.

The newly appointed Executive Director, Finance and Investment, Mrs Caroline Akinwale, told the lawmakers that there were no available documents on the transactions in question and that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was also in court with some of the former Managing Directors involved in the financial infractions.

Not satisfied with the response, the chairman directed the agency to list the issues that they had documents on and the issues currently with the anti-graft agency. He also ordered for the invitation of the former Managing Directors to come and give account of what transpired under their tenures.

(New Telegraph)