President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked the embattled Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Ms. Saratu Umar.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, who announced Saratu Umar’s sack, said the President approved the appointment of Uju Aisha Hassan-Baba as her replacement.
The new Executive Secretary/Chief Executive had served previously as Director-General, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice in Anambra State and Director, Legal Services, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
Although no reason was given for the decision to relieve Umar of her appointment, those familiar with goings-on in the agency said that Umar’s sack may have been engineered by the several demands for her sack by the agency’s staff.
The NIPC Staff Union had accused her of fraud, incompetence and high-handedness, leading to the setting up of a panel set up by the Federal Government to investigate the allegations.
The NIPC Staff Union had last week said in a statement issued in Abuja and signed by its Chairman, Ahmad Isah Ghondi that “Our findings have indicated that the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Ms. Saratu Umar, has violated so many provisions of the Act in awarding contract to her cronies and has been running the Commission as a private entity.
“The Executive Secretary since her assumption of office a year ago has never advertised for bids as a pre-requisite for all contracts which is in violation of section 19(a) and section 16(1) of the Public Procurement Act.
“She has currently hand-picked and engaged the services of five Consultants which was not advertised for public bidding. In contravention of section 21 of the Public Procurement Act, she has refused to constitute a Procurement Planning Committee.
“The NIPC boss has failed in her one year administration of the Commission to obtain ‘No objection’ certificates which are normally issued prior to award of contracts and payments. This is in contravention of section 16 (1) and (4) of the Public Procurement Act.
“In her determined efforts to thrive in illegality, Ms. Saratu Umar, has put together an illegal Tenders Board which comprised of only two directors and other subordinate staff and completely sidelined other Directors who are still staff of the Commission. This illegal Tenders Board recently approved a Contract of N35 million for refurnishing of her office.
“The engagement of Consultancies and Contracts that is valued at millions of naira are done without any legal documentation, contract or agreements. It is worthy of note that under section 20(2) of the Public Procurement Act, the Chief Executive Officer is to be held liable in person for the breach and contravention of this Act, whether or not such breach was carried out by her or her subordinates.”
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