Ex- Minister Faces Fresh Scrutiny as CSO Revives Alleged N122m NCC Fraud Scandal
By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul
KANO — Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Ali Isa Pantami came under scrutiny midweek in Kano as civil society Group raised eyebrows over his alleged inaction in the reported N122 million fraud involving two officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The group’s convener, Ibrahim Illyas Kaltungo who addressed newsmen, said the concerns stem from investigative reports published by top Nigeria Online newspapers in 2021, which alleged that two senior NCC officials fraudulently received public funds through fictitious travel allowance claims but were neither prosecuted nor subjected to the disciplinary measures recommended by an internal panel.
Kaltungo alleged that despite petitions addressed to Pantami during his tenure as supervising minister, no decisive action was taken to compel the commission to implement the panel’s recommendations.
“This matter raises fundamental questions about accountability in public office. If allegations of corruption are established by an internal investigation, the public expects those responsible to be sanctioned in accordance with the law,” he said.
The CSO stated that the newspaper’s investigation indicated that while the commission reportedly acknowledged the financial misconduct and recovered the funds through salary deductions, the officials allegedly remained in service without facing criminal prosecution.
The group also recalled that anti-corruption advocates had formally written to the minister in 2021, urging him to ensure appropriate disciplinary and legal action. However, it claimed that the appeals yielded no tangible outcome.
Kaltungo stressed that the unresolved allegations continue to cast a shadow over institutional accountability and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and other relevant authorities to revisit the case.
It urged investigators to establish whether due process was followed in handling the allegations, adding that a transparent review would reinforce public confidence in Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework while ensuring that all those mentioned in the matter are accorded their right to fair hearing.