Dr. Ngozi Olojeme, deputy chairman, finance committee, Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Organization has been declared wanted by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Olojeme, also ex-chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, was accused of allegedly cornering $48,485,127 from the NSITF.
The accused and some directors in the company siphoned billions of naira, including funds meant for the payment of allowances of its staff as well as compensation to contributors.
It was learnt that several directors and contractors were invited to explain their own side of the story, many of whom had since returned funds to the EFCC.
The New Diplomat learnt from an EFCC report, made available to newsmen that the funds as alleged were said to have been traced to the accounts of some consultants and contractors, who were believed to be fronts for Olojeme and other directors in the NSITF.
EFCC said: “It was discovered that the NSITF accounts in First Bank of Nigeria 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 N62bn, the Federal Government contributed N13,600,000,000 while the sum of 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 bureau de change operators who changed them to dollars.”
The report added that Olojeme sent her account officer at FBN to collect $48m from some NSITF contractors through a BDC operator.
It stated, “That through this process, Dr. Ngozi Olojeme, the then NSITF board chairman, has collected a total sum of $48,485,127 from Mr. Chuka Eze (her account officer at FBN), which cash he collected on her behalf being the dollar equivalent of monies paid to BDCs by NSITF contractors.
“That she has refused to honour invitation and all efforts to get her to come and tell her own side of the story have proved abortive hence her arrest warrant has been obtained from court.
“We ask for the EFCC chairman’s approval to declare the suspect wanted.”
Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman for the anti-graft agency confirmed the incident saying that Olojeme had been declared wanted and urged members of the public to offer information that could lead to her arrest.
