• ‘They’re baseless malicious’
The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) has denied allegations of high-handedness and corruption levelled against the management, saying they are unfounded, malicious and not in the interest of the economy.
According to a statement, signed by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the Fund, Mrs. Ifeoma Ihezue, the allegations are calculated strategies by enemies of accountability to disrupt the giant strides being made by the Fund under the administration for their selfish gains.
ITF Director-General, Dr. Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, while calling on the Federal Government to address hooliganism in unionism, said labour unions should continue to tread the path of integrity for which past labour leaders were known.
The peddlers of the malicious information, the statement said, had tried every means to drag the image of the ITF leadership in the mud without success, which is the reason they have again resorted to instigating a protest.
“A situation where our labour unions allow themselves to be used by a few people, who want power by all means, to disrupt laudable policies that would eventually be in their long-term interest, and in the interest of the economy, is not acceptable. In ITF, it cannot be business as usual again, in the interest of efficient and effective skills development. This exactly is what a few people are trying to fight for reasons best known to them,” the statement added, noting, however, that welfare conditions have been at their best ever under the administration.
The ITF, however, exdenied the allegations of the union, pointing out the fallacies in them, adding that the administration, has tried to take the activities of the Fund to an enviable height while striving hard to cut costs.
“We wish to refute the allegation of corruption in its entirety. The present DG has been commended severally for her financial prudence and her objectivity in tackling issues. On several occasions, she had directed for the renegotiation of certain outrageous contracts that were awarded in the past, thereby achieving huge savings for the fund,” the statement said.