Be Guided in Your Utterances, Ngige Tells Oshiomhole

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has told the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be “verse in little basic issues” that guide public governance, so as to be properly guided in his utterances to avoid unnecessary character assassination and unfortunate misinformation of the Nigerian public.

The minister said in a statement that the allegation that he appropriated the powers of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in the award of contracts, leading to the delay in inaugurating the board of the agency was false and misleading.

Ngige who was reacting to a widely publicised statement by the APC chairman said neither the minister nor the board of the agency has the power to award contracts since they were not part of the Tenders Board.

He insisted that the monumental fraud in the agency accounts for his delay in the inauguration of the board.

The statement read: “The attention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has been drawn to media reports that his office appropriated the powers of the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in the award of contracts, hence the delay in inaugurating the board of the agency.

“Such a blatant falsehood is either on account of fertile ignorance or outright mischief or both by the originator as well as the peddlers. It is therefore imperative that the provisions of the Procurement Act 2010 which is clear and unambiguous on the process for the award of contracts be re-emphasised.

“For clarity purpose, the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB) for the award of contracts in any Ministry is made up of the Permanent Secretary as chairman and his Directors, while in the para stat a ls, the Parastatals Tenders Board consists of the Chief Executive Officer (Director General or Managing Director) and his Directors,” he said.