The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the violation of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) Act.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja, AFRICMIL’s Coordinator, Dr Chido Onumah, also called for an investigation into alleged procurement of substandard equipment by the NPTF management .
Onumah said that on October 6, 2021, AFRICMIL wrote to the Chairman of the ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, urging him to use his good offices to get to the root of the scandalous breach of the Act establishing the NPTF.
According to him, AFRICMIL is following developments in this matter and expresses huge support for ICPC in this monumental task.
“In line with the commission’s customary adherence to professionalism, we urge a thorough, painstaking and dispassionate engagement with all the issues surrounding the controversial management of the trust fund.
“AFRICMIL called on ICPC to get to the root of the scandalous breach of the Act establishing the NPTF, as well as the complete disregard of the recommendations in the report which set the ground rules for prudent management of the Trust Fund.
He said that AFRICMIL’s findings revealed that among the equipment said to have been purchased for police personnel, bullet proof vests, helmets and some of the Toyota Buffalo vehicles fell far short of the required standard.
He added that AFRICMIL urged ICPC to scrutinise the equipment and other items procured to see whether they met the needs of the police.
Onumah said that AFRICMIL also said ICPC should be interested in investigating what the sum of N722,671,942 out of the N1, 616,883,668 released as takeoff grant of the secretariat of the Trust Fund was used for.
He said that this amount was said to have been spent within five months even as accommodation and other necessary equipment had been provided free by the Nigeria Police Force.
Onumah said that a violent transgression of the NPTF Act 2019 was noted.
“We have confidence in ICPC to deal with the issue professionally in the interest of justice.”
