The Deputy Commissioner for Insurance, Finance and Administration, National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, Mr. George Onekhena, has again failed to appear before the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) over alleged non-declaration of assets.
This is as the CCB has also invited the Managing Director, National Agricultural Insurance Corporation, Mrs Folashade Morenike Joseph, to appear before it on Thursday, April 18, over a related petition.
She had earlier been invited on April 1, 2019.
Onekhena was scheduled to appear on Tuesday, but refused to show up.
It is the second time he would be invited without luck.
Onekhena was invited along with two others – the Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive of the organization, Mr Mohammed Kari, and Deputy Commissioner for Insurance (Technical), Mr Sunday Olorundare Thomas.
Both Kari and Thomas appeared before the bureau to respond to petitions against them, but Onekhena is yet to appear.
The NAICOM officers had earlier been billed to appear before the bureau over the petitions last week Tuesday, but both Onekhena and Thomas sent representatives who pleaded that the date be shifted to a later date.
Kari, on his own part, however did not appear or send a representative to seek change in date at the time.
A reliable source within NAICOM told our correspondent that Kari was appointed by former President, Goodluck Jonathan as Deputy Commissioner (Technical) on March 31, 2014.
After expiration of the tenure of the former Commissioner for the Insurance, he was appointed on July 31, 2015 as Commissioner for Insurance in NAICOM.
“The first appointment as Deputy Insurance (Technical), he did not declare his assets, based on the constitutional provision of the Code of Conduct Bureau.
“Again, when he was appointed as Commissioner for the Insurance, he did not declare again. It is two violations. As Deputy Insurance (Technical), he did not declare. When he was appointed by this administration, he still didn’t declare. That is the reason he is being invited by the Code of Conduct for the breach of the breach of constitution for non-declaration of assets, just like the case of the former CJN that we’ve just witnessed.”
According to the source, Kari is being investigated by the Special Presidential Investigation Committee on Recovery of Public Assets, Obono Obla, on alleged looting of public assets.
“The same thing, the second in command, which is Mr Thomas Olorundare. He was appointed on the 10th April, 2017. He too, as Deputy Commissioner (Technical), has not declared his assets.
“The third one is Mr. George. He was appointed on the 24 November 2009. He did not declare his own assets too. Up till this moment, getting to about 10 years, even when his appointment was renewed in 2015, he didn’t declare his assets. He acted two times (at the Commission).
“Our concern is that is there a double standard in this country whereby head of the judiciary is being suspended on allegation of non-declaration of asset, while chief executives in the executive arm of the government are found wanting. From the feelers we are having, they are ignoring even the invitation by the CCB.”
The source noted there were insinuations that Mr George had resigned from the Commission, but he argued that violation of the law does not mean he is not answerable to the CCB.
The source furthered stated that George’s alleged resignation had not been accepted by the government.
