By Nkechi Eze
The trial of former Governor of Anambra State and former Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday as the first prosecution witness alleged that a contract for the renovation of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Makurdi office was awarded to a company that did not participate in the bidding process.
Testifying before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Gwarimpa, presided over by Justice M.A. Hassan, the First Prosecution Witness (PW1), Mr. Pedro Torwuese Chellen, stated that the contract, valued at ₦80 million (Eighty Million Naira only), was irregularly awarded, bypassing the proper procurement process.
In an official statement, the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed that PW1, an entrepreneur and project manager of Imanil Haq Nigeria Limited, told the court that his company had participated in the bidding process after the contract was advertised publicly. Following the loss of the bid, his company petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after discovering that the winning company had not participated in the process.
The witness explained that he had initially written to the management of NSITF requesting details about the contract award but received no response. He subsequently approached the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), which revealed that the contract had indeed been awarded to a non-bidding company. The petition, along with the attached bid documents, was admitted in court as Exhibit P1.
Under cross-examination by defense counsel, P.I.N. Ikwueto SAN, PW1 further disclosed that his complaint was directed against the NSITF management board. He raised concerns over the reclassification of the contract from “Renovation of Makurdi Office” to “Construction of Makurdi Office,” and the subsequent increase in the project cost from ₦80 million to ₦120 million (One Hundred and Twenty Million Naira only).
The witness also highlighted what he described as “massive corruption” within NSITF, though he admitted that he had not personally attended any management meetings of the board. He noted that the board was later reconstituted, a development he learned through media reports.
Led in his testimony by prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir SAN, PW1’s statements underscored alleged procedural lapses and irregularities surrounding the contract award, forming a key part of the prosecution’s case against Ngige.
The court adjourned the matter till Thursday, 29 January 2026, for continuation of proceedings.
