The former Labour and Productivity Minister, Chris Ngige, has entered a not guilty plea at the FCT High Court, Gwarimpa, Abuja, in the alleged use of his position while in office to confer undue advantage on associates through the award of multiple contracts amounting to N2,261,722,535.84.
Justice Maryam Hassan ordered that Ngige be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application, scheduled for Monday, December 14.
Ngige pleaded not guilty to eight charges, which include abuse of office and receiving gifts from contractors of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund while serving as its supervising minister between September 2015 and May 2023.
The charge dated October 31 and filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Sylvanus Tahir alongside five other lawyers on behalf of the EFCC, details allegations that the former minister used his position to confer undue advantage on associates through the award of multiple contracts.
In count one, the EFCC alleges that between September 2015 and May 2023, while serving as supervising Minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Ngige “used his position to confer an unfair advantage upon Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles, is believed to be his associate.”
The charge states that he “awarded seven different contracts for consultancy, training and supply by the NSITF to the said company to the tune of ₦366,470,920.68,” an offence said to contravene section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Other companies listed include Zitacom Nigeria Limited, described as a firm “whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles, was awarded eight different contracts for supply, training and consultancy, with the NSITF to the tune of ₦583,682,686.00.”
The EFCC also names Jeff & Xris Limited, “a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Nwosu Jideofor Chukwunwike, also got eight different contracts to the tune of ₦362,043,163.16.”
Further entries in the charge highlight Olde English Consolidated Limited, “a company whose MD/CEO, Uzoma Igbonwa, got the award of four different contracts for consultancy, training and construction by the NSITF to the tune of ₦668,138,141.00.”
Another company linked to Igbonwa, Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited, allegedly received “the award of four different contracts to the tune of ₦161,604,625.00.”
