No crisis at NGF secretariat – Legal director 

The Director of Media and Public Affairs at the secretariat, Abdulrazaque Bello Barkindo, had in a leaked letter to the NGF chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, said the NGF is now more transactional than developmental.

Barkindo said the NGF accounts had not been audited for 10 years or more, stressing that a few individuals had turned the forum and its finances into their personal fiefdom.

He also demanded a forensic audit of all NGF accounts.

But reacting in a statement on Monday, the legal director at the NGF secretariat said, “We assure the public, all our development partners and friends that there is no crisis whatsoever rocking the NGF or its secretariat.

“We want to assure our concerned friends and development partners who have been waiting anxiously for our comments, that there is no substance whatsoever in the allegations contained in the publication and that our refrain from joining issues is as a result of the need not to do or engage in any activity that may interfere with or prejudice the ongoing investigation and court action instituted by Mr Barkindo.

“We also want to use this medium to appeal to all well-meaning media houses not to allow their platform to be used by disgruntled elements in the dissemination of falsehood as we shall not shy away from vigorously defending our reputation and goodwill.

“We wish to reiterate that Mr. Abdulrazaque Bello Barkindo is no longer an employee of the NGF. Anyone dealing with him on account of his employment at the NGF does so at his/her own risk.”