CSO asks Pantami to address allegations of shielding NCC officials in N122m fraud case
Kola Oyelere Kano
A civil society organisation, Concerned Citizens, has called on former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Ali Isa Pantami, to publicly address allegations that he failed to act on claims of corruption involving officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) while serving as minister.
The group, through its Convener, Ibrahim Illyas Kaltungo, alleged that Pantami failed to intervene despite reports that two senior NCC officials implicated in an alleged N122 million fraud were neither disciplined nor prosecuted.
Speaking in a statement, Kaltungo referenced a 2021 investigative report by Premium Times, which claimed that the NCC admitted that public funds had been fraudulently obtained by two of its officials but allegedly failed to enforce disciplinary measures or facilitate prosecution.
According to the report cited by the group, Yakubu Gontor, then Head of the Finance Department, allegedly received about N54 million in travel allowances for trips he did not undertake, while Philip Eretan, the Commission’s former Head of Internal Audit, allegedly obtained about N68 million under similar circumstances.
Concerned Citizens noted that the two officials were reportedly indicted by an investigative committee set up by the NCC Governing Board in 2020, which recommended that they face a disciplinary panel and appropriate sanctions.
The group alleged that while the funds were reportedly being recovered through deductions from the officials’ salaries, they had not been prosecuted despite the committee’s recommendations.
Kaltungo further cited the Premium Times report, which alleged that the NCC management under the leadership of the late Executive Vice Chairman, Professor Umar Danbatta, did not implement the committee’s recommendations despite the Commission receiving recognition for ethics and integrity from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The CSO also recalled reports that the officials were questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in early 2020 following a petition, although subsequent EFCC officials reportedly said they could not trace the case files.
Concerned Citizens further referenced a letter written in April 2021 by another anti-corruption group, Lygel Youths and Leadership Initiatives (LYLI), urging Pantami to intervene after alleging that the NCC management ignored repeated calls to discipline and prosecute the officials.
The letter, according to the CSO, argued that the Commission was condoning corruption by failing to implement the recommendations of its investigative panel.
The group also referred to comments reportedly made at the time by Pantami’s spokesperson, Uwa Suleiman, who was quoted by Premium Times as saying the matter was an internal NCC issue and that the Commission was in a better position to respond.
Concerned Citizens maintained that Pantami should clarify his role in the matter and respond to the allegations, insisting that public officials should be held accountable for actions taken or not taken while in office.
The CSO also referenced previous public controversies involving Pantami, including criticism over past sermons and calls by some Nigerians for his resignation during his tenure.
Neither Professor Pantami nor the NCC has issued any fresh response to the allegations raised by the group. The allegations referenced by Concerned Citizens are based on previous media reports, and no court has convicted the individuals mentioned in connection with the alleged fraud.
