The trial of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, continued on Wednesday before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarinpa, Abuja, with two prosecution witnesses alleging that the Ministry of Labour and Employment assumed the procurement responsibilities of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund.

Ngige is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office and fraudulent contract awards amounting to ₦2.26 billion.

The second prosecution witness, Ken Nwagha, a former Acting Managing Director of the NSITF, told the court during cross-examination by defence counsel, P.I.N. Ikwueto (SAN), that the former minister informed him verbally that there was a presidential directive authorising the transfer of the agency’s procurement functions to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

According to the witness, no written presidential directive was presented to him at the time the procurement responsibilities were moved from the NSITF to the ministry.

The testimony was corroborated by the third prosecution witness, Onwusoro Maduka Iheamelam, a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), Iheamelam told the court that while serving as Director of Procurement at the NSITF in 2022, the former minister communicated, through the Permanent Secretary, that the procurement functions of the agency had been absorbed by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

He stated that, acting on the directive, he formally conveyed the decision to the Managing Director of the NSITF on behalf of the Permanent Secretary.

Iheamelam further informed the court that he had also served as Director of Procurement in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and was a member of the Ministry’s Ministerial Tenders Board between 2019 and 2023.

He explained that Nigeria’s public procurement regulations prescribe separate approval thresholds for Parastatal Tenders Boards and Ministerial Tenders Boards, noting that contracts exceeding the approval limit of a parastatal are referred to the Ministerial Tenders Board for consideration.

Justice M.A. Hassan adjourned the case until July 2, 2026, for continuation of trial.

The EFCC alleges that Ngige abused his office in the award of contracts valued at ₦2,261,722,535.84, an allegation the former minister is contesting before the court.