Witnesses Tell Court Ngige Transferred NSITF Procurement Functions to Labour Ministry

Witnesses Tell Court Ngige Transferred NSITF Procurement Functions to Labour Ministry

The trial of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, continued on Wednesday before Justice M.A. Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Gwarinpa, Abuja, with two prosecution witnesses testifying that the former minister transferred the procurement functions of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Ngige is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and fraudulent contract awards valued at N2.26 billion.

During the proceedings, the second prosecution witness, Ken Nwagha, a former Acting Managing Director of NSITF, told the court under cross-examination that Ngige informed him verbally of a purported presidential directive authorising the transfer of the agency’s procurement functions to the ministry.

Nwagha stated that no written presidential directive was presented to him at the time, adding that the information was conveyed orally by the former minister.

The testimony was supported by the third prosecution witness, Onwusoro Maduka Iheamelam, a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Iheamelam, who previously served as Director of Procurement at NSITF and later at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, told the court that in 2022, Ngige wrote to the ministry’s Permanent Secretary notifying it of the transfer of NSITF’s procurement responsibilities to the ministry.

He explained that, acting on the directive, he communicated the decision to the Managing Director of NSITF on behalf of the Permanent Secretary.

The witness further informed the court that procurement regulations prescribe specific approval thresholds for Parastatal Tenders Boards (PTBs) and Ministerial Tenders Boards (MTBs), noting that contracts exceeding the authority of a PTB are required to be referred to the MTB for consideration and approval.

Iheamelam also told the court that he served as Director of Procurement in the Ministry of Labour and Employment and was a member of the Ministerial Tenders Board between 2019 and 2023.

Following the testimonies, Justice Hassan adjourned the case until July 2, 2026, for continuation of trial.

The EFCC alleges that Ngige abused his office and was involved in the fraudulent award of contracts worth N2,261,722,535.84 while serving as Minister of Labour and Employment. The former minister has denied the allegations.

Witnesses Tell Court Ngige Transferred NSITF Procurement Functions to Labour Ministry