Foreign ministry denies estacode scam

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied media reports indicating that it is involved in an estacode scam.

Daily Trust had reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) commenced investigation into the estacode paid to 87 officers from the ministry and the Federal Civil Service Commission.

EFCC sources, according to our correspondent, said the officials allegedly supervised promotion involving 59 Service officers.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Tope Adeleye Elias-Fatile, in a statement, said the estacode allowances of all the officers, who travelled to supervise the 2018 Promotion Examinations in the four centres abroad (Kenya, London, New York and New Delhi) were paid directly into their accounts upon their return from the exercise.

Besides, the payments were made in naira not the 2018 exercise Foreign in dollars as alleged, he said.

He described as ‘’incorrect’’ media reports that over 100 officers of the ministry travelled to supervise the examination exercise.

According to him, only 36 officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs travelled for the supervision.

He also said allegation that only 59 officers sat for the promotion examinations was untrue. Over 129 officers sat for the promotion examinations, EliasFatile said.