A Civil Society Group, Concerned Citizens, has raised questions about the alleged refusal of Professor Ali Isa Pantami to act in a case of alleged corrupt practices as Minister, thereby allegedly shielding the NCC-indicted officials from prosecution.
In 2021, NCC confirmed that its officials had stolen public funds but refused to ensure they were disciplined as prescribed by anti-corruption laws.
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The Civil Society Group through it’s Convener, Ibrahim Illyas Kaltungo, reminded that In a report investigated by one of the leading Newspapers online, Premium Times on 27 April 2021, which says, Two weeks after his office was contacted by a group to take action against two officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) enmeshed in a N122 million fraud, Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami, has failed to act.
They said, this is even as NCC admitted its officials stole public funds, it has equally refused to ensure they are properly sanctioned as prescribed by anti-corruption laws and the Minister than turned deaf ears from the matter.
The CSO reminded that, in an exclusive report in March, by Premium Times, it exposed how two senior staff, Yakubu Gontor, head of the finance department, and Philip Eretan, former head of the internal audit department of NCC, got the funds as allowances for trips they never embarked on.
“Mr Gontor got N54 million as accruable allowances for official trips he never made while Mr Eretan fraudulently raked in about N68 million.”
The Civil Society Group notes that the Officials, were indicted by an investigative committee which was set up by the commission’s governing board in 2020. Premium Times understands that the money stolen is being deducted in instalments from their emoluments. But the two men are yet to have their day in court.
“The committee had recommended that the two officials should be made to face a disciplinary panel with appropriate sanctions meted out to them.”
They added that Premium Times, findings revealed that the Umar Danbatta-led management of the NCC, which in 2020 won the Ethics Compliance and Integrity Scorecards (ECIS) award of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has not disciplined the indicted officials as recommended by the committee, or called for their prosecution.
The Civil Society Group also notes that, Premium Times understands that between January and February 2020, Messrs Guntor and Eretan frequented the Kaduna zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a petition by a yet-to-be-identified group.
They noted that the new leadership of the EFCC in the zone told our correspondent it could not trace the details of the matter. In February, the new head of the zone, Sanusi Abdullahi, said he was only transferred to the zone in July 2020, and that he could not trace the files of the matter.”
“The NCC in its response to PREMIUM TIMES’ exposè had admitted its officials stole public funds. The agency has apparently continued to shield them from prosecution.”
Mr Kaltungo reminded that at that time, an anti-corruption group, Lygel Youths and Leadership Initiatives (LYLI), wrote a letter to Mr Pantami seeking his intervention over the matter.
“In the letter dated April 14 and signed by its director of legal and compliance unit, Lekan Oladapo, the group noted that it had complained to the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in a letter dated 29th December, 2020, of which the minister was copied.
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“In the said letter we had raised observations on the case of fraud in the Commission that involved the two heads of units of Finance and Audit.
“We have persistently advised the management of NCC to address that by implementing the recommendation of the Investigating Committee to impose necessary sanctions and prosecute the culprits.
“Be that as it may, all the advice went to the deaf ears of the management to the extent that it was insensitive to the subsequent publications of the Premium Times published on March 29th 2021 and APRIL 1, 2021 respectively.
“We are surprised that the NCC can be as desperate as a reputable organisation condoning corruption of its officers without plausible justification.”
The group stated that it is “amazingly disturbing” for the NCC to continue to shield the officials from disciplinary action.
The CSO hints that at that time Pantami’s response was that he said, ‘Leave me out of NCC matter’- Pantami
Despite acknowledging the receipt of the letter on April 15, Mr Pantami is yet to take any decisive action, sources told PREMIUM TIMES.
When Premium Times contacted the minister’s spokesperson, Uwa Suleiman, on the subject matter, she pleaded that her principal should be left out of the matter at that time.
“This is a crisis within NCC. They are in a better position to answer your questions and offer any clarification you may need.”
After informing her that NCC had confirmed the fraud but was apparently shielding the officials, she responded saying “This is under his (NCC spokesperson) purview. I will tell him to offer more clarification.”
Ms Suleiman later asked a Premium Times reporter to send her a copy of the letter sent to the minister and this was done immediately.
Having read the letter, she has since failed to acknowledge the copy sent to her on WhatsApp. She has also not responded to issues raised in the said letter. She has also not responded to a reminder on the subject matter.
The CSO, further reminded that, Premium Times Reports that Mr Pantami’s current public silence may not be unrelated to recent controversies over his past.
“He has been in the news lately over sermons he delivered over a decade ago that supported extremist groups such as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.”
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“While the minister said he has renounced these teachings, blaming his immaturity at the time the statements were made, many Nigerians have demanded his resignation from office.”