The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) is facing allegations of extensive corruption from its erstwhile media director, even as the the Forum has strongly denied claims of misconduct.
In a letter by the former Director of Media and Public Affairs of NGF, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, he described the NGF under Director-General Asishana Okauru as a “conduit pipe for a few individuals.”
“The NGF is now more transactional than developmental. It is not an agent of change but a conduit pipe for a few individuals,” Barkindo wrote.
He accused Okauru of turning the organization into his “personal fiefdom,” embezzling millions daily through over-invoicing.
Barkindo claimed the NGF head of secretariat has failed to audit accounts “in the last decade” and enriched himself lavishly while paying staff a pittance.
“In an organization that makes over three billion Naira annually, the total annual income of its entire staff is seventy million naira. Staff of the Forum are always asking where all the money goes,” the letter stated.
Barkindo alleged that Okauru rigged his own appointment 15 years ago with help from his wife and her consulting firm at the time.
He presented it as evidence of an Okauru family scheme to seize control of the NGF, writing “the DG and his ED Finance and Admin had turned the Forum and its finances into their personal fiefdom.”
But, in response, the NGF, in a statement by its legal department dismissed the claims as “inflammatory and misguided allegations” and “character assassination”.
The NGF reiterated that Barkindo resigned from his role on December 7, 2023.
The NGF said the “reckless allegations” are already being investigated by police and are the subject of an ongoing lawsuit.
As such, the DG said it would fully cooperate with the investigation but refrain from addressing the substance of the claims so as not to interfere with the legal proceedings.
Describing the situation as “no crisis whatsoever,” the NGF assured its partners there was no truth to the allegations and appealed to media houses not to provide a platform for false information.
It made it clear that Barkindo no longer represents the organisation in any capacity.
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