Civil Rights Groups and Corruption Reporter Communications Ltd, publishers of www.corruptionrepoter.com an investigative media platform has called for the removal of Mr. Aliyu Abbatti Abdulhameed as NIRSAL Managing Director/CEO over allegation of misappropriations of farmers money.
In a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, Corruption Reporter had alleged that Mr. Abdulhameed had stayed put in office without going through the norm of handing over, after his tenure expired on December 23, 2020, having been appointed on December 23, 2015.
The petition, which was made available to newsmen, alleged series of acts of impunity against the former MD of NIRSAL calling for his removal.
The petition had alleged that NIRSAL “enjoy all the privileges of being a public institutions (having been created with tax payers’ funds) with zero responsibility to the public as though it were a private institution, yet NIRSAL is not subject to the regulations that guide private organizations”.
The Civil Rights Groups and the media outfit further alleged that Mr. Abdulhameed had converted NIRSAL, which was established with a take-off grant of 500million US Dollars from the CBN, “into a personal fiefdom” under his control.
The petitioners also alleged that several investigations had revealed NIRSAL MD had gone to great lengths to suppress such investigations, including a Board Audit Committee chaired by CBN Deputy Governor Edward Adamu.
The petition also alleged that the company didn’t follow due process in award of contracts while funds running into billions of naira were allegedly diverted by Mr. Abdulhameed and his son, who the petitioners alleged was arrested in Dubai, UAE for money laundering allegation.
The petitioners urged President Buhari to set up an independent panel of investigation into NIRSAL and its activities under Mr. Aliu Abdulhameed, “to restore flagging public confidence in the institution”, and “to ensure that NIRSAL doesn’t discredit the president’s anti-corruption war.