Channels Television
Updated February 3, 2021
A photo collage showing FCT COVID-19 boss, Ikharo Attah speaking with NSITF officials and security operatives at the venue of the examination.
There was confrontation and disagreement on Wednesday after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Taskforce on Enforcement of COVID-19 Protocols stormed the venue of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) promotion examination.
The task force led by the head of media and enlightenment, Ikharo Attah stormed the Event Centre where the examination was holding to stop it.
The task force officers raised concerns over violations of COVID-19 safety protocols at the examination venue.
Olawale Ajimotokan
The FCT Administration Ministerial Taskforce on Enforcement of COVID-19 Protocols has disrupted the promotion examination of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) staff over violation of the Health Protection Regulations 2021, signed into law last week by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The arrival of the FCT Taskforce team Wednesday sent many of the top management echelon NSITF into disarray, with many of them scaling the fence of the examination venue and abandoning their vehicles, apparently to evade arrest by the COVID-19 enforcement team.
Over 1200 staff of the NSITF drawn from across the nation were cramped into the New MM Event Centre, at Area 11 Abuja for the promotion examination, when the task force stormed the venue, following a tip-off that the exercise was going on in stark violation of the presidential order on COVID-19 health protocols.
Nigerians, in the course of last week, woke up to another damning report by the international corruption watchdog, Transparency International, in its 2020 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) report, in which Nigeria was ranked 149 out 180 countries in the world.
The country was also adjudged the second most corrupt country in West Africa, only surpassed by Guinea-Bissau and the 13th most corrupt on the Aftican continent.
The 2020 CPI also showed a worsening in the nation’s corruption rating since 2015, as the Buhari administration’s best could only manage 25 points out of a possible 100.
The 2019 TI report had ranked Nigeria 146th out of the 180 countries surveyed, scoring 26 points, while in the 2018 report, the largest country in Africa ranked 144 out of 180, pointing to the fact that corruption had worsened in the country.
2018 audit query: oAUGF indicts NSITF, others over N41.857bn contracts, irregular payments 2018 audit query: oAUGF indicts NSITF, others over N41.857bn contracts, irregular payments
• Uncovers $68,875,902 illegal fund disbursement to distressed Nigerian Missions
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The office of the Auditor General of the Federation (oAuGF) in its 2018 audit query indicted Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others of awarding contracts and irregular payments/expenditures worth N41.857 billion and $68,875,902 illegal fund disbursed to distressed Nigerian Missions in contravention of extant financial regulations.
The details were contained in the 2018 audit report submitted to the Senate and House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts for further legislative action.
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