Buhari Fires Tribunal Chairman Amid Allegations Of Corruption, Abuse Of Office

President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sack of the Chairman, Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST), Mr. Siaka Isiah Idoko-Akoh.

This is contained in a circular by the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr. Mahmoud Isa-Dutse.

“I write to convey the approval of Mr. President for your removal from office as the Chairman of the Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST) with immediate effect.

“Accordingly, you are required to hand over the office of the Chairman including all property(ies) of the IST in your custody to Mr. J. I. Udunni, a full time member of the Tribunal, who by this same letter from the State House has been appointed as Acting Chairman of the IST,” the memo said.

Meanwhile, DailyTrust reports that the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), reacting to the development, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for removing Mr. Idoko-Akoh, as the IST Chairman.

The Chairman FCT Council, Comrade Aliyu Maradun and Ag. Secretary FCT Council, Comrade Adebanjo Jubril of AUPCTRE, one of the affiliate unions of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), at a joint briefing on Saturday in Abuja said the suspended IST Chairman vehemently oppose the progress and actualization of the mandate given by President Mohammed Buhari, on IST and its workers.

“It is very unfortunate that the Chairman, Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST) Mr. Isiah Idoko-Akoh, unilaterally handled IST as if it is his own personal private property without recourse to Civil/ Public Service Rules and Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The struggle for emancipation of worker and revival of IST became pertinent, when the union discovered that the Tribunal is on the verge of being collapsed by the former Chairman, due to his high-handedness, maladministration and high level of corruption in which the union petitioned ICPC, EFCC and Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) for investigation and prosecution,” Maradun said.

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for the action taking on the IST, Maradun also commended the Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige; Minister of Finance, Hajia Zainab Ahmed; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the securities agencies who acted accordingly to save the IST from collapse.

He said the union engaged the former Chairman at different fora with a view of avoid the Tribunal from losing its competence and capability in adjudicating over millions of investors’ cases, as his integrity is in doubt.

“The struggle led to three picketing at the IST premises in order to draw government attention and relevant stake-holders. The AUPCTRE would always remain committed to Mr. President anti-corruption war and the struggle for the betterment of members who are workers in various institutions of government,” he added.