PLOT TO BLACKLIST ITF DG EXPOSED

Agenda for New Nigeria (ANN), a watchdog and non-profit making organisation has described as both defeatist and poorly conceived, attempts by some establishment persons to sling mud on the person and office of the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mrs. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko.

Describing the development as informed by an insensate and insensitive local politics of gender, ethnicity and religion, President of the organisation, Dr. Sam Abubakar, said the torrent of attacks against the ITF DG is a reflection of the poor mentality of underdevelopment and “na we get am” psychology of her attackers.

A series of sponsored articles have been flying around lately, attacking both the person and office of the DG over alleged corruption in the region of billions. The attacks, which are believed to being sponsored by unions and groups within the organisations as well as persons alleged to have interest in her job had said the ITF under the new DG, who assumed office last year stinks of corruption.

But Abubakar, who claimed to have been compelled to react to the development for factors of truth and reason about the leadership of Chukkas-Onaeko at ITF said, “It is only a people, who are averse to change and determined to retain a stinking status quo of squalor and underdevelopment that would go all out against an otherwise innocent, innovative and hard working woman.

“First, the problem is that a majority of these people feel because they are from Plateau State and consider the ITF a local patrimony, they reckon it should be manned by one of them. But they have failed in their inanity to address the fact that ITF has remained backward and in obscurity for the same reasons and yet, they seem comfortable with it.

“Second, they are yet to come to terms with the fact that a woman is the DG and therefore, having to be subservient to a woman is in a sense, a thing of pride they are still battling to accept in their head. Third, the fact that she is also a Christian is another factor they have been mobilising against her without recourse to the benefits of her transformational leadership which is fast blazing trail at ITF.

“This notwithstanding, we are confident in the fact that no one of sane mind, who has been following the leadership of Chukkas-Onaeko at ITF and the degree of transparency with which she has held down so far would reckon with the swirling insanity in some of the unscrupulous news platforms lately. We are with her and we will stand by her because it is these same fault lines that have destroyed the fabrics of the unity and trust of this country that they are trying to ride on to achieve an aimless objective,” he said.

Dismissing some of the allegations against her as concocted, Abubakar said “The issue of the 400 illegally employed staff was not even her call as it had been done and concluded before she assumed office in 2014. The property they claimed was inflated had been in the works for over three years, obviously for same reason and at a cost she could not relate with until she came and saved the organisation of some N400 million before the deal pulled through. 

“Although they did not specify, however, allegations of being fingered in scam cannot exist in a vacuum and we are yet to lay our hands on any. But here is a DG, who noticed a curious transaction to the tune of N14 million by a staff, when it should have been N4 million and ordered the entire process cancelled immediately. What this presupposes is that if she could weigh in heavily on a N14 million curious transaction you can be sure you would not find her anywhere near the billions they are peddling.

While noting that the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is not one to haste into decision-making or act on mere hearsay, he said, “This is why we are using this medium to warn those, who are clandestinely behind this mindless attack and preconceived character assassination of an innocent woman.

“It is in their interest and that of their career to desist from further attacking the innocent because the next time we come across any such attacks, we shall react by mentioning names and positions as well as what role is being played by who. Chukkas-Onaeko does not deserve this and these ungodly lots know as much if at all they still have a residual of dignity and conscience in their hearts cast in stone,” he said.