December 13, 2025.
By Ayuba Doekyil
No person of good morals should feel pity for the duo of Chris Ngige and Abubakar Malami simply because they are under EFCC interrogation over corruption allegations.
These are men who held powerful public offices and, from what Nigerians have seen and heard over the years, allegedly enriched themselves while in government.
Accountability is not witch-hunt. It is a responsibility. When public officers are invited to answer questions about how they managed public resources, there should be no pity, only a demand for truth and justice.
Recent developments show that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has widened its probe into both men. Chris Ngige, former Minister of Labour and Productivity, is facing charges linked to alleged contract irregularities during his time overseeing the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund.
The allegations centre on the award of contracts running into billions of naira to companies said to be connected to people close to him.
Abubakar Malami, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, is also under intense EFCC investigation.
Reports indicate that several bank accounts linked to him are being examined as part of ongoing probes into alleged abuse of office and financial misconduct.
But beyond the noise, Nigerians must focus on the bigger issue.
There should be no sympathy for anyone answering corruption charges.
At the same time, the anti-corruption fight must not be seen as selective. If the EFCC focuses only on opposition figures or those who have fallen out of favour, it sends a wrong signal and creates a different narrative, one that weakens public trust in the process.
Many Nigerians also find it hard to feel sympathy for Chris Ngige because of his record as Minister of Labour, especially his handling of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
During his tenure, ASUU embarked on long and painful strikes that kept students at home for months. Ngige was widely accused of treating lecturers with disdain, adopting a hard-line approach instead of sincere dialogue.
At one point, lecturers were paid half salaries during the strike, a move ASUU described as punitive and insensitive. The relationship between the ministry and the union was tense, and many academics felt humiliated and ignored.
To them, this is simply accountability catching up with a man who once held enormous power over their lives and livelihoods.
In the end, justice must be equal. The EFCC must be allowed to do its job, but it must do so without fear or favour. No one should be shielded because of party loyalty, and no one should be targeted because of political differences.
Only when accountability is applied evenly can Nigerians truly believe that the fight against corruption is sincere.
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Written by Ayuba Doekyil, Independent Journalist and Public Affairs Commentator
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