By Nuel Suji – The immediate past Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Nkechi Ejele has been held for questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) over alleged financial impropriety.
Mrs. Ejele who was invited to the anti-graft agency’s head office in Maitama Thursday morning is being investigated over her role in the alleged misappropriation of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) money released to her former Ministry between 2013 and 2014.
A fortnight ago Mrs. Ejele was relieved of her position alongside 16 other Perm Sec. by President Muhammadu Buhari, who immediately replaced them with the new career officers in their respective Ministries.
SURE-P is an initiative of the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. It was meant to productively engage unemployed Nigerian Youths.
The programme has over the years, been subjected to various high scale scandals, including floating of Federal Task Force, which collected money from the job seekers and engaged them in many illegalities, but the jobs were never provided.
