MEDIATRACNET
The management of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) on Monday denied reports that its Executive Secretary, Yewande Sadiku, was arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Sadiku, who has been having disagreements with the workers of the investment promotion agency since last year, was allegedly arrested on Tuesday by the operatives of the anti-graft agency.
Reports said following her arrest, she was subsequently detained and quizzed for several hours over allegations bordering on “abuse of office, contract fraud running into several millions of Naira and unearned frivolous allowances.”
However, hours later the Commission in its reaction to the reports clarified that she was neither arrested nor detained over any corruption charge or fraud issue.
“Management clarifies that Ms Yewande Sadiku voluntarily honoured an invitation by the EFCC and responded to the issues raised.
“Management affirms that Yewande Sadiku is a diligent public servant who is proud of her service to Nigeria. She is deeply committed to governance and accountability and therefore challenges anyone with evidence of any wrongdoing by her in her service to the NIPC to make it public,” the Commission said in a statement.
The Commission further clarified that the petitions being investigated by EFCC, on the basis of which she was invited to answer questions, contain issues that have already been investigated by other anti-corruption agencies and found her not culpable of offence.
“None of the agencies indicated she has any case to answer. She honoured an invitation by the EFCC on 09 August 2021. She was neither arrested nor detained,” the statement added.
In February this year, some aggrieved staff of the Commission embarked on an indefinite strike, resulting in the shutdown of the agencies office complex, to protest against the Executive Secretary, whom they accused of “executive felonies”.
Demanding the immediate sack of the Executive Secretary, the protesting workers asked for the payment of their welfare allowances.
A similar protest was organized in July 2020, during which the workers accused the Executive Secretary of wrongful dismissal of members, denial of promotion, breach of the public procurement law and failure to pay staff relevant allowances.
Also, they accused Sadiku of spending over N400 million on foreign trips in three years, an allegation the NIPC denied.
