The Management of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State, has denied allegations of corrupt practices and contract racketeering by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigerian (PENGASSAN), PTI Branch.
In a statement signed by Mr Brown Ukanefimoni, the Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the institution, the management said the allegations, which were published in some online media (Not TribuneOnline), were not only most unfortunate and spurious but designed to denigrate the institution.
“Ordinarily, we do not want to join issues with PENGASSAN since we are not on Press trail.
“These reckless allegations against the Iyuke-led Management were calculated attempts to bring the Management to disrepute among the right-thinking members of the public,” the statement averred.
Mr Ukanefimoni said to set the record straight, the Institute’s Management wishes to state as follows:
“That, the PTI Management has never been caught in the web of financial embezzlement from the Institute’s account, not to mention a whopping sum of 600m as alleged by the union.
“That, the allegation of massive fraud and corruption where management was alleged to have withdrawn monies recklessly from PTI account is false and a figment of the imagination of mischief-makers.
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“That, Management at no time withdrew 286million naira to offset the bills of Delta State Board of Internal Revenue. The management wishes to challenge anyone with such proof.
“That, the issue of contract racketeering is an unfounded and baseless clue purported by agents of strife and destabilization on a mission to truncate the good works of Prof. Iyuke. In addition, Management has always followed Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) guidelines in the award of contracts.
“That, at no time has the Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA) used his personal account to launder Institute’s funds for self-aggrandizement as well as undermine the capabilities and integrity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) or any other government agencies in curbing financial malpractices.”
The institute’s management also disclosed “that Management remits the deductions of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) from her employees to the various Agencies responsible for providing such services.
“That, the same can also be said of Management’s full compliance of remittances of employees’ Pension contributions to their various Pension Fund Administrators.
“That, Management wishes to debunk the allegation of raised payment voucher using dead and retired staff to embezzle funds, was pernicious, calculated attempt to frame and discredit the Principal and Chief Executive, Prof. Sunny E. Iyuke.”
The institute’s image-maker, however, urged the public to await the outcome of an ongoing investigation before casting jaundiced aspersions on the Prof Iyuke-led management.
He warned groups or persons dragging the name of the institution into disrepute to desist or face litigation, submitting that the Iyuke-led management, which assumed office in 2016, has brought immense infrastructural and academic transformations to the institute as well as placed staff welfare as one of its topmost priorities.
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