Group Exonerates Muhammad Kyari Dikwa of Alleged $76m Fraud

Mary Nnah

The Northeast Concerned Citizens, a civil society group, has described as false the corruption and public fraud allegations published by an online newspaper against as retired Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance, Dr Mohammed Kyari Dikwa.

Refuting the online publication, the group’s National President, Ambassador Umar Mohammad, a statement described the publication as one spreading. “irresponsible falsehoods and fabrications.”

The group in the statement noted, “The Northeast Concerned Citizens have read with dismay a publication made by the Peoples Gazette, indicting our son, Dr. Muhammad Kyari Dikwa, on corruption and public fraud claims.

“We strongly wish to state that the report is riddled with irresponsible falsehoods and fabrications, which we have exposed for the reading and thinking public to see”, it sated.
Mohammad noted further, “Throughout his career as a civil and public servant, Dr Dikwa has not been indicted for any form of corruption, and no money was reported missing under his watch.”

He emphasised Dikwa’s role in implementing various government reforms, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), and Treasury Single Account (TSA), among others.

He added, “Many Nigerians can attest to the extent of the loopholes regarding ghost workers and other forms of massive public corruption within the civil service, which Dr Dikwa’s initiatives had addressed in Nigerian public institutions.”

The group also raised suspicions about the motives behind the report, questioning the reliance on a statement provided by the driver of the NDIC manager, who was allegedly implicated in a robbery operation.

Mohammad highlighted Dikwa’s numerous national and international service awards in recognition of his excellence.

The Northeast Concerned Citizens also called on the news outlet to retract the ‘false, malicious report’ and urged media regulatory agencies and the government to intervene in preventing the irresponsible use of the media.

In a related development, the retired Permanent Secretary has demanded an immediate retraction, apology, and compensation of N10,000,000,000 (Ten Billion Naira) from an online news platform for publishing a ‘defamatory’ article about him on June 23, 2023.

The article, titled ‘Exclusive: Scavengers cart away $4 million from $76 million cash haul stockpiled in Abuja apartment by NDIC manager Aisha Odariko, ex-perm sec Mohammed Kyari,’ accused Dr Dikwa of corruption and financial impropriety.

In a letter from his lawyer, Edwin Inegedu, Esq., Senior Partner at Pitcher and Courts, dated June 23, 2023, Dikwa stated that the publication has severely damaged his reputation, which he has built over decades of service in both the public and private sectors.