Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed - Former investment tribunal members were an embarrassment

Zainah Ahmed

 Minister of Finance, Zainah Ahmed has described former members of the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST) as an embarrassment to the federal government.

 

Ahmed said this during the swearing-in ceremony of Azi Isaac as chairman of the tribunal, and Nosa Osemwengie as a member.

 

She said;

 

“The tribunal has in the last five years suffered many setbacks due largely to poor administration. These setbacks have blurred, if not completely wiped out, whatever modest achievements the Tribunal might have recorded in its adjudicatory role. 

“We may recall that in November 2015, the tribunal was dissolved and the chairman and its members relieved of their jobs. A new panel of the tribunal, which includes many of the members here seated, was inaugurated in 2017.

“Again, barely two years into your tenor, the chairman of the tribunal was removed. The problems with the tribunal had been infighting amongst members, lack of industrial harmony and a series of complaints bordering on mal-administration. These have been the bane of the tribunal and source of embarrassment, not only to the ministry but the federal government.”

 

This is coming after Isaiah Idoko-Akoh, former chairman of IST was sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2019.