The Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Dr. Juliet Chukka-Onaeko, has been accused of misappropriation over N10 billion belonging to the fund.
The in-house Union of the fund made this allegation in a petition written against Chukka-Onaeko, who is less than one year in office.
The N10 billion was said to have been misappropriated through sharp practices.
The allegation was contained in a petition written by the Union leaders of the fund and forwarded to the Chairman of the Industrial Training Fund, its Governing Council, also copied to all management members of the fund, as well as the President-General and General Secretary of the Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporations.
It was also copied to the President, General Secretary and State Chairman of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees.
But Chukka-Onaeko, in an interview, debunked all the allegations against her and her office by the Union.
She said closing down of the ITF staff school by her is to bring in new and modern equipments that will make the children learn under conducive atmosphere.
She equally accused the Union leaders of blackmail and deliberate plan to tarnish her carrier.
She said the fund has over N10 billion to pay contractors.
Those who signed the petition included members of the Union: Comrade Daniel Jamgbadi, Comrade Ishaya Audu, Comrade Stanley Chukwu, Comrade Lawal Mohammed, Comrade K. S .Alakija, Comrade Zailani Mohammed, Comrade Akanbi Ismail, Comrade Collette Sati, Comrade Ernest Nwanchukwu, Comrade Edward Kajola, Comrade Ibrahim Garba, Comrade Patricia Usman, Comrade Alex Pior, Comrade Waya Edward, Comrade Ta’asum Piavel and Comrade Roselyn Maren.
The petition reads in part: “Nigeria’s infrastructure deficits have held our attention since the appointment of Director General, we will round up by looking at other critical infrastructure and explore possible ways where ITF cannot utilize our resources to create jobs, enhance living standards and attract infrastructure development.”
In the petition, dated October 15, 2014, with reference number ITF /HQ/JU//S/14/0016, the Union accused the Director General of cornering a large chunk of money earmarked for the fund’s projects across Nigeria.
It also asked: “So how much money are we talking about?
“Which companies are involved in this mess?
“Who is fooling and short-changing who?”
In the petition titled: Our Position on State of Affairs of the Fund, the Union also accused Dr. Chukka-Onaeko of always travelling outside the country and wasting public funds on incessant travels.
The Director General was also accused of over inflating contracts awarded as well as awarding contracts without due process.
However more to their petition is the accusation that she has embezzled a whooping sum of N10 billion in the process and also in unofficial trips, allegations over which the Unions said she must vacate office.
According to the Union: “Very little of that sum is retained in Nigeria, though the potentials in skills acquisition, job creation, foreign exchange earnings and wealth creation are enormous window dressing.”
The Unions’ demand: “That the Director General should henceforth desist from contracting core functions of the staff to contractors, staff should not be made redundant; That the director general should follow due process in the award of contacts, also that contracts should not be awarded to contractors who are not pre-qualified.
“All outstanding Reimbursement claims should be paid based on their merit with immediate effect, wherein a client is not qualify, such client should be communicated; The Director General should treat with dispatch all outstanding unscheduled training approvals and communicate same to the affected Area offices. Where the director general is busy to attend to this, she should please delegate accordingly.”
The Union also asked that Chukka-Onaeko should henceforth honour meetings convened at her instance with regards to scheduled time.
Where she needs to call off the meeting, the union said it should be done following due process.
It said a situation where officers will be made to wait for seven hours to attend two hours meeting or a meeting that may be called off is unproductive and unacceptable to the unions.
Moreover, it stated the Director General should authorize the payment of all outstanding staff claims/expenses expended in executing official functions, particularly Duty Tour Allowances, fuelling of vehicle as well as vehicle maintenance and repairs.
Other demands included that the Director General should be regular in the headquarters and make herself available and accessible to staff, as well as call her Special Assistant to order to conduct himself in a manner that befits his office.
It will be recalled that the former Director-General/Chief Executive of the ITF, Prof. Longmas Sambo Wapmuk, in his hand over speech said: “I shall be leaving an ITF with over N10 billion in its account.
“This was achieved by our tireless efforts and the amendment of the ITF act in 2011and prudent management.
“I wish to thank the Almighty God for the opportunity given me to serve Nigeria through the industrial Training Fun for a period of almost eight years.”
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