The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested Dr. Ngozi Olojeme, the Deputy Chairman, Finance Committee of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in the 2015 presidential election.
The suspect, who served as the Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, (NSITF) from 2009 to 2015, was, in June, declared wanted for allegedly diverting $48,485,127 from the accounts of NSITF.
“Olojeme, who was declared wanted a few weeks ago by the EFCC on the order of a court, turned herself in.” The Nation reports
The EFCC has arraigned a former Managing Director of NSITF, Umar Munir Abubakar and four others for alleged diversion of N18billion.
The cash was said to be the Federal Government’s contribution to take-off grants and Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) for Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The others are Henry Ekhasomi Sambo, Adebayo Adebowale Aderibigbe, Chief Richard U. Uche and Aderemi Adegboyega.
The report according to The Nation report states: “That through this process, Dr. Ngozi Olojeme, the then NSITF board chairman, has collected $48,485,127 from her account officer at FBN, which cash he collected on her behalf being the dollar equivalent of monies paid to BDCs by NSITF contractors.
“She and others also diverted huge cash allocated for allowances of its staff and compensation to contributors. Detectives actually traced some of the NSITF funds in the personal accounts of Olojeme and the former MD, Umar Abubakar.
“For instance, Abubakar and others converted N18billion, being contribution from the Federal Government as take-off grants and Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) for MDAs.
“The said sum was diverted into personal accounts by an e-payment mandate jointly signed by Umar Munir Abubakar and Henry Ekhasomi Sambo.”
The report added: “It was discovered that the NSITF accounts in First Bank and other banks have witnessed a total turnover of over N62,358,401,927 between 2012 and 2015 from the Employee Compensation Scheme contributions.
“That out of the N62b, the Federal Government contributed N13,600,000,000 while N48,758,401,927.80 was contributed by the private sector. That there were several payments to individuals and companies from the NSITF bank accounts for purported contracts or consultancy services.
“That some individuals and companies that received these payments, in turn, transferred part of the monies directly to the NSITF officials while others transferred huge sums to bureaux de change operators who changed them to dollars.”
“From preliminary findings, she is likely to face trial like other top officers of NSITF.”
The suspect was also the convener of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme sub-committee on Public Works and Road Rehabilitation.
