Former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application.
Justice Mariam Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court issued the remand order on Friday after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the former governor of Anambra State in court over a N2.2 billion corruption allegation.
The judge also adjourned the case to 15 December for the hearing of the bail application.
Ngige was arraigned on an eight-count charge.
EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, asked the court for a date for the commencement of the trial. He had earlier requested that the accused be remanded in the custody of the anti-graft commission.
However, the counsel to the defendant, Tim Nkweto said that his client has been in the EFCC custody for the past three days.
He said the defendant is not an unknown person in the country, having served as a minister, up until about two-and-a-half years ago.
Nkweto argued that they would meet any bail condition for his client, saying the ex-minister is not in good health and needs to get to the hospital.
The former minister had arrived at the premises of the court, alongside a team of EFCC officials, at about 8:10 am.
In the eight-count charge, the former minister was the sole defendant.
According to the charge dated 31 October and filed on 9 December by a team of lawyers, led by Tahir, Ngige was alleged to have committed the offences while serving as Minister of Labour and Employment under the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
In count one, the defendant was alleged to have, between September 2015 and May 2023, while being the supervising Minister of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), used his position to confer an unfair advantage upon Cezimo Nigeria Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles, is his associate.
Ngige was said to have awarded seven contracts for consultancy, training, and supply by the NSITF to the said company to the tune of N366,470,920.68.
In count two, the defendant was alleged to have, while being the supervising Minister of NSITF, used his position to confer an unfair advantage upon Zitacom Nigeria Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Ezebinwa Amarachukwu Charles, is his associate.
Ngige was alleged to have awarded eight contracts for supply, training, and consultancy, with NSITF, to the said company to the tune of N583,682,686.00 only.
Count three accused Ngige of using his position to confer an unfair advantage upon Jeff & Xris Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Nwosu Jideofor Chukwunwike, is his associate, by the award of eight contracts for consultancy, training and supplies with NSITF to the said company to the tune of N362,043,163.16 only.
In count four, he was allegedly to have used his position to confer an unfair advantage upon Olde English Consolidated Limited, a company whose MD/CEO and alter ego, Uzoma Igbonwa, is his associate.
He was accused of awarding four contracts for consultancy, training, and construction by NSITF to the said company to the tune of N668,138,141.00 only.
