ITF Tackles MURIC Over Allegation of Nepotism, Religious Sentiment

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has described as “baseless and sadly untrue” the grave allegation of nepotism and religion sentiment leveled against its Director General, Sir JosephAribytheMuslimRights Concern(MURIC)warningthe group to always crosscheck its facts before dishing them out to the public. In a statement by its Director of Public Relations, Suleyol Fred-Chagu, the Fund took exception to “orchestrated efforts to malign, impugn and whip up negative sentiments against it and its functionaries through outright lies and calculated misinformation as containedintheMURICrelease.”

TheFundsaid,“TheDirectorGeneral is a devoted Christian, whose lineage, including his direct siblings is populated by both religions. As a result of this, he does not believe in nepotismandtribalismanddoes not indulge in religious bigotry. Indeed, the DG is a detribalised Nigerian who has formed long lasting and enduring relationshipscuttingacrossallfaithsand tribes in Nigeria.

“With regards to what the group alleged to be ‘Christianisation’ and ‘Plateaurisation’ agenda of the DG in the ITF, we want to place on record that this is far from the truth and a product of the imagination of the writer as the recruitment exerciseconductedinFebruary, 2019 that they hinged their allegations on, followed all due processes and was coordinated by the Federal Character Commission,

which even issued a letter of compliance to the Fund after the exercise.

“It must equally be noted that the DG recused himself from theexamination\interviewsessions that were conducted by a panel that comprised officials of our parent ministry- the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Character Commission and the ITF Governing Council, whichisheadedbyAlhajiMusa Gwadabe, OFR- a detribalised Nigerian among others.