A prosecution witness, Orwusoro Maduka, has countered the defence of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, over an alleged Presidential Directive relating to procurement activities of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund.
Maduka, a former Director of Procurement in the Ministry of Labour and Employment between 2019 and 2023, testified on Wednesday as the third prosecution witness in the trial of the former minister before an Abuja High Court sitting in Gwarinpa.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Ngige on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged receipt of gratifications from NSITF contractors and preferential treatment in the award of contracts worth about N2.2 billion.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the former minister awarded contracts to several companies and received gratifications from contractors through his organisation, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige Campaign Organisation, and Cezimo Nigeria Limited.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, the witness relied on a letter from the Bureau of Public Procurement to challenge the claim that Ngige had legitimate presidential authorisation to unilaterally oversee procurement activities at the NSITF.
Asked whether he saw any instrument conveying the alleged Presidential Directive, Maduka replied: “No, I never saw the directive. Although there were correspondences signed by the minister alluding to the directive.”
He told the court that Ngige constituted a Parastatal Tenders Board Committee and appointed members, including his deputy, identified as Joyce, who served as secretary of the committee.
Maduka added that the Bureau of Public Procurement was aware of the arrangement.
The EFCC thereafter tendered letters of award of contracts, minutes of meetings of the Ministerial Tenders Board and Parastatal Tenders Board, as well as a letter relating to the cessation of procurement activities by Ngige at the NSITF.
Counsel for Ngige, Patrick Ikwueto, SAN, did not object to the documents, and the court admitted them in evidence as exhibits.
The witness explained that the Parastatal Tenders Board had a financial threshold within which it could award contracts, while contracts outside its threshold were expected to be forwarded to the ministry for approval.
He also read out some of the award letters, including contracts awarded to Shell Atlantic for consultancy services valued at over N48 million and N49 million for stakeholders’ engagement on safety.
Other contracts mentioned in court included Health, valued at N40 million; Jeff and Chris, N47 million; Zitacom Limited, N48 million and N49 million; Cezimo, N49 million; and Old English Consolidated, N49 million.
When Tahir asked whether the sums exceeded the threshold of the Parastatal Tenders Board, the witness replied: “All the contracts are mainly within the PTB threshold zones.”
Justice Maryam Hassan adjourned the matter until Thursday for continuation of the witness’ testimony.
Ngige has not been convicted of the allegations and remains presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court.
