Buhari sacks NSITF MD, Somefun, nine others over corruption

PRESIDENT Buhari has approved the removal of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Bayo Somefun, and nine other top management officers of the fund.

Somefun and the top nine management staff, which included three executive directors, have been on suspension since July 1, 2020.

The three executive directors are: Jasper Azuatalam, Tijani Sulaiman and Mrs. Olukemi Nelson.

Their removal also takes effect from that July 1, 2020, following the final approval of the recommendations in the report of the Presidential Joint Board and Audit Investigation Panel set up by the president in July 2020 to investigate the alleged infractions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and the Financial Regulations (FR) in the NSITF.

President Buhari has also approved the appointment of Dr. Michael Akabogu, who is presently the General Manager, Risk Management Department of the NSITF, as the new Managing Director, having approved the reconstitution of the board.

A statement yesterday by the spokesman of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles Akpan, said the MD and the three executive directors were to refund the NSITF treasury the total sum of N181,056,000 “being illegal over-payments in salaries, allowances such as overseas travels, leave allowances for self and spouses in overseas, house allowance, DSTV and club registration and extraneous allowances not approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission”.