Ifeanyi Onuba, Abuja



The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority on Monday dismissed claims in some quarters that due process was not followed in the recruitment of Ms Aisha Abba-Kyari who is the daughter of the Chief of Staff to the President.

A civil rights organisation, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance, had called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order an investigation into the appointment of Ms Abba Kyari as an Assistant Vice President at the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority.

The organisation also gave the Presidency notice to commence “a series of lawful civil actions in a matter of days to compel the administration to order a comprehensive investigation of this employment scam.”

Her appointment was said to have been done under alleged secret and controversial circumstances.

The Chairman of CACOBAG, Alhaji Toyin Raheem, had in a statement on Saturday, described the appointment as controversial “because it violates set procedure at the NSIA, which is the legally constituted agency that manages Nigeria’s excess crude oil revenues.”

But reacting to the development, the Managing Director, NSIA, Mr Uche Orji, described the claims by the group as false.

He said that the recruitment went through a transparent process, adding that the position was advertised in the media mid last year.

He also faulted claims by the group that the position of Assistant Vice President given to Abba Kyari’s daughter was a top management position, noting that the position was just level nine out of the 22 levels in the NSIA.

On whether she was given an official car attached to her office, he said such claims could not be true as such position did not enjoy such privilege.

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Mr Uche Orji, said the selection of Aisha Abba Kyari, the daughter of President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, as an Assistant Vice-President at the authority, was based on her academic qualifications, international and local work experiences.

Mr Orji made this known yesterday in Abuja while addressing the journalists on the financial performance of the agency in 2018.

Meanwhile, the NSIA, which manages Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, said it made a profit of N46.5bn in 2018.

The NSIA presentation made by Orji showed that the profit of the authority had more than doubled when compared with the N22.55bn recorded in 2017 financial year.

Orji said: “Despite concerns over international trade flows, slow growth in key economic indicators and increased volatility across financial market, the Authority’s investment strategy proved robust.

“Total comprehensive income, including the impact of foreign exchange gains, was N44.34bn which shows an increase from the N27.93bn recorded in 2017.

“Also, total assets recorded a growth of 16 per cent to N617.7bn at year end, showing an increase when compared to the N533.88bn of 2017.

“The return on capital employed on the core funds of the NSIA is as follows; Stabilisation Fund, 7.2 per cent, Future Generation Fund, 8.3 per cent and Nigeria Infrastructure Fund, 7.7 per cent,” he said.

Giving a review of the Authority’s activities, Orji said the NSIA was helping to reduce input-induced food price inflation through the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI).

He said that under the PFI in 2018, an additional 5.5 million bags of NPK 20:10:10 fertiliser was produced and sold in Nigeria bringing the total project output from inception to date at over 12 million bags.

In addition, Orji said that the NSIA disbursed $650m for infrastructure construction projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF)

Some of the projects include the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge; and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road.

Orji said that till date, the NSIA had disbursed N77.6 billion under the PIDF programme.

He said other projects being undertaken under PIDF included Mambilla Hydro-Power Project and East-West Road.

The NSIA boss also described as successful, the NSIA investment in the health sector, which had led to the establishment of a world class cancer center at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. (NAN)

He said that the recruitment went through a transparent process, adding that the position was advertised in the media mid last year

Ekakamba:
While some murder-forkers are here chanting, shouting, typing and supporting some mother-fuckers fro giving them 30k or nothing per month.

GavelSlam:
PHD syndrome.

Pull him down syndrome.

eagleeye2:

Guy when are they going to give you one juicy post? No forget us wey dey attack una for Nairaland. The back and forth is what makes Nairaland fun and annoying at the same time.

TOPCRUISE:

Was she the only one that applied. Abi all other applicants were not qualified.
Employment procedures has been compromised in this country. For safety reasons it is a good decision to leave this country for better countries that consider merit. Nothing for you if you don't know a high profile person in government or somebody that knows somebody in high cadre government establishment when you apply for a job in CBN, NNPC, e.t.c.