N69bn Fraud: My detention by EFCC has nothing to do with GEJ – Olejeme

Erstwhile Chairman of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Dr. Ngozi Olejeme has said her invitation and detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegation of N69bn fraud has nothing to do with former President Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Finance Committee.

She stated that contrary to media reports that she was arrested, she willingly submitted herself before the commission to clear the wrong allegations made against her.

In a statement on Tuesday by her Media Aide, Stanley Imoko, Olojeme disclosed that her detention was about where she worked as part time chairman of NSITF.

In the statement Olejeme stressed that contrary to EFCC allegation, no money was traced to her account, neither was any money given to the Jonathan campaign organisation or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by her.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to erroneous media reports about the circumstance surrounding the issues Dr Ngozi Olejeme is currently having with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

“While we recognise the constitutional right of the media to inform the public, we are inclined to set the records straight by stating what has transpired so far between Dr. Ngozi Olejeme and the EFCC.

“Dr. Olejeme who was declared wanted three months ago by EFCC for alleged diversion of several billions of Naira in NSITF where she was a part time Chairman during the last administration turned herself in voluntarily to EFCC on Monday the 18th of December, 2017 in order to clear her name which the alleged story of diversion tried to smear.

”Dr Olejeme was appointed a part time chairman of the agency when the agency was moribund and comatose having been divested of its core responsibility of managing pension funds of Nigerian workers by the New Reform Pension Act of 2004.

“Dr Olejeme’s dexterity saw the enactment of a new law by the National Assembly that gave some responsibilities ( like social scheme compensation for employees who suffer injury or death in the course of their duties) to the agency and which resurrected the agency back to life.

“The agency that had only two functional offices when she was appointed witnessed a tremendous growth both in offices across the length and breadth of Nigeria and personnel from 80 employees to about 7000 by the time she exited from the board.”

Mr Imoko, in the statement, insisted that Dr. Olejeme was at NSITF as part time chairman and putting extra effort to grow the agency which made it a toast today, she was unaware that the management of the agency were busy diverting some of the monies of the agency to themselves.

“Dr. Olejeme got to know about this when she was declared wanted by EFCC for alleged diversion of several billions of Naira by her and the management.

“More shocking to her was the conspiracy of some of the management staff of the agency to heap all their nefarious activities on her head while she was away on the demonic understanding that she may not come back to defend herself, having known of her health challenge while abroad.”