The trial of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, continued on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, before Justice M.A. Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarinpa, Abuja, with two prosecution witnesses testifying that the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment took over the procurement functions of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).
Ngige is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an eight-count charge bordering on abuse of office and the alleged fraudulent award of contracts valued at N2,261,722,535.84.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, P.I.N. Ikwueto, SAN, the second prosecution witness (PW2), Ken Nwagha, a former Acting Managing Director of NSITF, told the court that Ngige informed him verbally that there was a presidential directive authorising the transfer of the agency’s procurement functions to the ministry. However, he said no written directive was presented to him.
The testimony was corroborated by the third prosecution witness (PW3), Onwusoro Maduka Iheamelam, a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, Iheamelam stated that while serving as Director of Procurement at NSITF, Ngige wrote to the Permanent Secretary in 2022 notifying the ministry of the decision to absorb the procurement functions of the agency. He added that, acting on the Permanent Secretary’s instruction, he formally communicated the directive to the Managing Director of NSITF.
Iheamelam, who also served as Director of Procurement in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and was a member of the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB) from 2019 to 2023, explained that procurement regulations prescribe separate contract approval thresholds for Parastatals Tenders Boards (PTB) and Ministerial Tenders Boards. According to him, contracts exceeding the approval limit of the PTB were referred to the MTB for consideration.
After hearing the witnesses, Justice Hassan adjourned the matter until July 2, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
