Loading ...ABUJA, NIGERIA — The ₦2.26 billion corruption trial of the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, continued on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, with key prosecution witnesses testifying how the former minister systematically dismantled and transferred the procurement powers of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) directly to his ministry.
Appearing before Justice M.A. Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Gwarinpa, Abuja, two separate prosecution witnesses affirmed that the controversial move stripped the parastatal of its independent contracting authority.
Dr. Ngige is facing an eight-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bordering on abuse of office, preferential contract awards, and allegedly receiving millions in bribes from contractors.
“Presidential Directive” Conveyed Only by Word of Mouth
During a rigorous cross-examination by the lead defense counsel, P.I.N. Ikwueto (SAN), the Second Prosecution Witness (PW2), Ken Nwagha, a former acting Managing Director of the NSITF, made a vital disclosure.
Nwagha told the court that when Dr. Ngige ordered the transfer of the NSITF’s procurement department to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the minister never presented an official document. Instead, Ngige only informed him “by word of mouth” that a presidential directive authorized the hostile takeover.
The EFCC has strongly contested the existence of any legitimate authorization, previously tendering correspondence from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) which explicitly states that the Ministry of Labour lacked the legal jurisdiction to overhaul or absorb the NSITF’s independent procurement apparatus.
The Paper Trail Behind the Takeover
The position of PW2 was reinforced by the Third Prosecution Witness (PW3), Onwusoro Maduka Iheamelam, a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, who previously served as the Director of Procurement in the Ministry of Labour between 2019 and 2023.
Led in evidence by the EFCC lead prosecutor, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), PW3 revealed that in 2022, Dr. Ngige formally wrote to the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary to convey the final absorption of the NSITF procurement department. As the director of procurement at the time, PW3 stated he had to officially communicate this directive to the NSITF’s Managing Director on behalf of the ministry.
PW3, who was a member of the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB), explained the structural shifting of contract approvals:
- The Process: Under procurement regulations, specific monetary contract thresholds are established for both the Parastatals Tenders Board (PTB) and the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB).
- The Shift: Once the functions were domiciled in the ministry, contracts that fell outside the approval limit of the NSITF’s localized board were directly bypassed and referred straight to the ministry’s MTB for approval.
Breakdown of the ₦2.2 Billion Contract Infractions
According to the EFCC arraignment files, the anti-graft agency alleges that Dr. Ngige used the hijacked procurement department to funnel multi-million naira contracts to handpicked associates, subsequently receiving massive kickbacks through political and personal accounts:
| Target Company | Associated Persona | Nature of Contracts | Value of Alleged Infraction |
| Zitacom Nigeria Limited | Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles (Associate) | 8 contracts for supply, training, and consultancy. | ₦583,682,686.00 |
| Olde English Consolidated Ltd. | Uzoma Igbonwa (Associate) | 4 contracts for consultancy, training, and construction. | ₦668,138,141.00 |
| Cezimo Nigeria Limited | Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles (Associate) | 7 contracts for consultancy, training, and supply. | ₦366,470,920.68 |
| Jeff & Xris Limited | Nwosu Jideofor Chukwunwike (Associate) | 8 contracts for consultancy, training, and supplies. | ₦362,043,163.16 |
| Shale Atlantic Services Ltd. | Uzoma Igbonwa (Associate) | 4 contracts for consultancy, training, and supply. | ₦161,604,625.00 |
The Alleged Bribes and Campaign Funding
The EFCC further alleges that Dr. Ngige corruptly accepted personal gratifications directly from these active NSITF contractors. Specifically, the commission traced ₦38.6 million from Cezimo Nigeria Limited paid directly into the Senator (Dr) Chris Nwabueze Ngige Campaign Organisation bank account, alongside another ₦55 million funnelled from Zitacom Nigeria Limited into the Dr. Chris Ngige Scholarship Scheme.
While the defence maintains that due process was followed and that the companies involved cleared all technical bidding mandates, the prosecution is relying heavily on the unlawful structural override of the procurement department to prove criminal intent.
Justice Hassan has adjourned the high-stakes matter until July 2, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
