“I Didn’t Know There Was a Presidential Approval for NSITF Procurement to Be Moved to My Department in 2021,” EFCC Witness Tells Court
There was mild drama on Thursday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Court 33, presided over by Justice Miriam Hassan, during the continuation of the trial of former Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, over allegations bordering on corruption and favouritism in contract awards.
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecution witness, Dr Maduka Onwusoro, a former Director of Procurement in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment between 2019 and 2023, told the court during cross-examination that he was unaware of any presidential approval authorising the transfer of procurement activities of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) to the ministry in 2021.
Onwusoro, who was cross-examined by defence counsel, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, admitted that although he was the Director of Procurement at the time, he never personally saw the presidential approval but merely acted on directives allegedly conveyed by the Permanent Secretary through the Minister.
The witness made the disclosure when asked to explain the circumstances surrounding the transfer of NSITF’s procurement activities to the ministry.
Confronted with a letter he personally authored and addressed to the Managing Director of NSITF, directing the agency to route all procurement activities through his office and redeploy officers in its procurement department, Onwusoro maintained that he acted on the instructions of the Permanent Secretary.
However, he claimed he could not remember the name of the Permanent Secretary who allegedly issued the directive.
Further confronted with an internal memorandum from the former Minister to the Permanent Secretary, forwarding the presidential approval under a restricted and confidential cover, the witness insisted that he had never seen the document, maintaining that his instructions were given orally by the Permanent Secretary.
The proceedings took another interesting turn when the defence drew the witness’s attention to his membership of a presidential investigative panel set up by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to investigate procurement, financial and administrative irregularities in NSITF.
Onwusoro admitted that he was a member of the panel and further acknowledged that the transfer of procurement responsibilities from NSITF to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment was among the panel’s recommendations.
He, however, sought to clarify that he was only a member of the panel and not its chairman, a response that reportedly elicited laughter in the courtroom.
The defence subsequently presented a certified true copy (CTC) of a letter from the Chief of Staff to the then President to the Minister, which was conveyed through the Legal Department of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and communicated presidential approval of that aspect of the panel’s recommendations.
Again, the witness claimed he was seeing the document for the first time, although he acknowledged that the approval related to a recommendation made by the panel on which he served.
When the defence further confronted him with his earlier statement to the EFCC, in which he allegedly indicted the former Minister by claiming that nobody saw the presidential approval and that no such approval existed, Onwusoro reportedly remained silent.
Asked why, as a seasoned public servant and Director of Procurement, he did not make enquiries at the ministry, particularly from the office of the Permanent Secretary, before making such claims in his statement to the EFCC, the witness responded that he did not know he could do so.
The defence subsequently tendered presidential approvals dated June 24, 2021, and March 8, alongside the internal memorandum from the former Minister to the Permanent Secretary conveying the approvals in a restricted file. The documents were admitted as exhibits after being duly certified in accordance with the law.
In what appeared to be a significant moment in the proceedings, defence counsel, Ikwueto, SAN, asked the witness whether, having now seen the documents, he would wish to retract his earlier written statement, which the defence described as containing several falsehoods.
However, EFCC prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, intervened, arguing that the witness should not be shown the copy of his statement because it was not legible.
Following the exchange, the court directed that a certified legible copy of the statement be produced for the defence.
Justice Hassan subsequently adjourned the matter until February 9, 2027, for continuation of proceedings.
EDITOR
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, as well as M.Sc Mass Communication at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is the immediate past NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
