CSO Asks Pantami To Clear Self Over Alleged Shielding Of NCC Officials Indicted Of Corrupt Practices
By Abdullahi Yusuf
A Civil Society Group, Concerned Citizens, has tasked Prof. Ali Isa Pantami to clear himself of allegations that he shielded from prosecution some officials of the NCC indicted of corrupt practices, while serving as Minister of Communications.
The NCC had in 2021, confirmed that its officials stole public funds but allegedly refused to ensure their prosecution as prescribed by anti-corruption laws.
The group gave the task through it’s Convener, Ibrahim Illyas Kaltungo, who recalled a report investigated by one of the leading online Newspapers in Nigeria.
It alleged that the investigation revealed that two weeks after his office was contacted by a group to take action against two officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) enmeshed in a N122 million fraud, the Minister of Communications,Pantami allegedly failed to act.
Kaltungo said even as NCC admitted that its officials stole public funds, it allegedly refused to ensure that they were properly sanctioned as prescribed by anti-corruption laws and the Minister also allegedly turned deaf ears on the matter.
The Civil Society Group noted that the Officials were indicted by an investigative committee which was set up by the commission’s governing board in 2020, and that the online newspaper found that the money stolen was being deducted in instalments from their emoluments.
“But the two men are yet to have their day in court.
“The committee had recommended that the two officials should be made to face a disciplinary panel with appropriate sanctions meted out to them.
Kaltungo also recalled that an anti-corruption group had once wrote a letter to Mr Pantami seeking his intervention over the matter.
In the letter, he said,the group noted that it had complained to the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) of which the minister was copied,alleging, however,that the Minister did not act on the matter.