Chief Executive Officer of NFIU Modibbo Hamman Tukur has debunked the assertion that his agency has anything to do with the funding of its new headquarters project.
Tukur made this clarification while reacting to what he termed false allegations against him.
He said the new NFIU headquarters in the Presidential Villa is being built by Messrs Julius Berger. Modibbo added, “Let me state clearly that the project is a CBN Intervention Project approved by President Muhammadu Buhari. At no point was the NFIU involved with the funding or approval of the project. And I want to state clearly … that the project was officially investigated already by the EFCC.”
He added, “I have never received and will never receive monies from Julius Berger because they are not handling the project for the NFIU”, Modibbo said.
Responding to critics’ allegation of faulty recruitment “practices” in NFIU, Modibbo said the claims were false, maintaining that , “The NFIU is a new agency with its salary based at the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
According to the NFIU boss, “It is therefore, NOT possible to recruit and pay any applicant without written approval issued by the President and Commander in Chief, a confirmation of availability of funds by the Director General Budget Office, a Certificate of Compliance by the Chairman Federal Character Commission and additional approval by the Honorable Minister of Finance.”
Modibbo also said his agency always complied with due process with regards to procurement. Specifically, he asserted, “we are an intelligence agency and bad people including terrorists are going after our lives. The money for procurement is only based at the GIFMIS and can never be accessed without due process and approval by the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP). BPP and the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation and other investigating agencies have a role in procurement and also ensuring all procured items are delivered. So I don’t know how buying a car subject to Audit and approval by BPP becomes a major problem”.
He also defended himself against allegation of non declaration of his asset and alleged ownership of a “fake” account in Keystone bank. He said, “DSS investigated the matter, I was invited and I defended myself. Not only did I not have a Keystone bank account, but I have never in my entire life (done) any transactions at the Bank. Keystone Bank is a going concern; I challenge anyone to publish the account opening records and if I ever did any transactions there.
He also urged critics to “check with the EFCC where I worked before, if EFCC Staff were not declaring their assets internally before we discarded it and upgraded to CCB reporting requirements. Any staff who worked at the EFCC in the last ten years including the former chairmen can confirm that.”
Modibbo added, “Regarding my bank accounts, all transactions in my accounts are there with the established sources of funds. ..
“..The so called 22 bank account the DSS listed are the personal accounts of one, Modibbo Raji Tukur an individual working in an oil company that I don’t even know personally though he’s from Adamawa state too.
“I have 4 to 5 accounts in banks and they are all in my BVN including GBP , USD and Naira Accounts. .. I officially earn N60 Million Naira so if he’s questioning my 1 year transactions of 100 million naira including 36 million paid to me as arrears by the Federal government..
The NFIU boss added, “I also want to state clearly that it is totally mischievous to focus on fake rumors and allegations without evidence instead of dwelling on the remarkable successes of the NFIU.
He drew critics’ attention to the fact that, “in 2022 the NFIU won the best FIU Award at the United Nations and World Bank and 3 different awards at ECOWAS. And presently the Director of Financial Investigation at the Interpol and a leading IT Officer at Egmont Group were seconded from the NFIU. “
