The suspension of Adebayo Somefun, Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has again raised specks of dust in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The DAILY VENDOR gathered that Somefun was handed immediate suspension effective from Thursday, July 2, alongside Jasper Ikedi-Azuatalam, the Executive Director of Finance and Investments, and Olukemi Nelson who is the Executive Director of Operations.
Ngige, who claimed that the suspension was approved by President Buhari, stated that it was mandatory due to “preliminarily established prima facie infractions on the extant Financial Regulations and Procurement Act, and other acts of gross misconduct.”
But in what got Buhari’s administration enmeshed in another mess, Ngige’s action seems to have crossed the line with the position of Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), barring cabinet ministers from removing heads of agencies and parastatals they supervise.
This publication recalls Mustapha, in a memo dated May 19 which was addressed to all ministers and senior officials, including the Head of Service, the Central Bank Governor and permanent secretaries, among others, had raised concern over the controversial run of suspension of heads of parastatals and agencies by the ministers.
Mustapha said a new policy approved by the president has forbidden ministers from taking the laws into their hands but allowing them to make a recommendation on the penalty after the board of the agency has issued a query. Ngige’s action, which has the backing of the president, has now brought afore the inconsistency in Buhari’s government which experts, including labour leaders, have condemned.
6 Replies to “Fresh Rancour Looms In Buhari’s Cabinet As Ngige Suspends NSITF MD Against SGF’s Directive”