Racketeering: Contractors forging our certificates – NSITF

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to come to its aid over what it described as forging of certificate by contractors.

The agency specifically said many contractors across the country have not been following due process in contract awards, saying they have resorted to cutting corners by forging its certificates to fetch themselves contracts.

Geoffrey Otokito, the Regional Manager of NSITF in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, stated this when he led a delegation of the Fund to the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the EFCC.

According to the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, the agency sought the commission’s assistance against the forgery of its certificates by those it described as unscrupulous individuals and companies.

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“People are tempted to compromise and  that is why we are here at the anti-graft agency. Instead of following the due process, contractors resort to cutting corners, forging our certificates to fetch themselves contracts.

“The EFCC has been doing excellent work in the anti-corruption fight and I think you have to come in and look at this area and see how you can help prosecute these individuals,” Otokito was quoted to have said.

Reacting to the NSITF’s plea, the Acting Zonal Director of EFCC in Port Harcourt Command, Adebayo Adeniyi, vowed that those involved in the sabotage would be brought to book.

Adeniyi, an Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE1), called on the NSITF to submit a petition against any contractor and individual suspected to be involving in certificate racketeering.

“Collaboration based on tackling the certificate forgery issue you mentioned is possible. If you discover any forgery henceforth, you can bring a petition to us.

“Our work is intelligence-based, but your request has to come by a way of petition, then we will handle it from there. An organisation like yours that is doing a lot for the citizens should not be subjected to such fraud,” he said.