$1.6bn Oil Scam: EFCC Presents First Witness Against Omokore, Others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Thursday, presented its first prosecution witness against the Chairman of Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, Jide Omokore, who is being accused of criminal diversion of about $1.6bn alleged to be proceeds of petroleum products belonging to the Federal Government.
Omokore, alongside Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, David Mbanefo, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited were on November 21, re-arraigned before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
They were first arraigned before Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court, Abuja, July 4, on 9-count charge.
The first witness, Andrew Yakubu, a former General Managing Director, GMD, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, formerly a co-defendant prior to the amended charge, shed light on the nature of his engagement with the NNPC, which involved the strategic direction of NNPC and all its subsidiaries, including the Port Harcourt refinery, Warri refinery, Kaduna refinery, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited (PPMC), Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL) and National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS).
According to him, “in 2013 to 2014, the MD of NPDC, Victor Briggs (the fourth defendant) came to me and raised some concerns in relation to assets OML 60 series in relation to the strategic alliance agreement between Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited and NPDC, citing inability of Atlantic Drilling to meet payment obligations.
“He told me that he was already looking into the issue and will get back to me. I told him to stop further lifting until the issue is reconciled. I called the Group General Manager of Crude Oil Marketing Department (COMD) and told him to stop further lifting until the issue had been resolved”.
He added that, “the Minister of Petroleum Resources wrote a letter to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources and I, and set up a committee to investigate the issue.
“The fourth defendant (Briggs) was removed from NPDC and reassigned to IDSL. Mr. Membere, who was the Director-General, Exploration and Production; Tony Madichie, the Company Secretary in charge; Acting EG, Dr. Dawa and Company Secretary, Mr. Ike, were also part of the committee that compiled the report. Before they completed, however, I was also retired from service.”
Regarding the complicity of NAPIMS in meeting the funding requirements of the assets, Mr. Yakubu stated that, “We got to know later that NAPIMS made a cash call but I also issued instructions for them to stop. I also made sure that whatever fund that NAPIMS had paid was refunded to the federation account by the NNPC”.
At this point, the defense counsel, Rafiu Lawal-Rabana, applied for an adjournment for cross-examination and he was obliged.
The matter was consequently adjourned to January 20, 2017 and February 3, 2017 for continuation of trial.

source: streetJournal.com

OONI BERATES OLUGBO OVER UNGUARDED STATEMENT ON MOREMI AND YORUBAS

The paramount ruler of Yoruba kingdom and Ooni of Ife, Oba Babatunde Enitan Ogunwusi has described the statement credited to Olugbo  of Ugboland, Oba Obateru Akinruntan that Moremi was never a heroine and that she was a betrayer as very unfortunate and total embarrassment to Yoruba nation.

In a statement made available to cityin190 from the Director of media and public affairs to Arole Oodua, Comerade Moses Olafare, described such statmenet from Olugbo as a mere royal rascality and a pitiable act of absurdity that doesn't deserve serious attention by serious minded people.

 In his words, “The attention of ILE-OODUA has been drawn to a statement credited to Oba Frederick Akinruntan through the Olugbo-in-Council berating the people of ILE-IFE for celebrating MOREMI AJASORO as a heroine and goddess of liberty. 

“How on earth should a Yoruba king refer to Moremi as a traitor just because she used her power of a woman to liberate her people from incessant invasions by some faceless terrorists”?

While we remain very proud of the great queen Moremi Ajasoro, a brave woman who sacrificed her only son OLUOROGBO for the victory of her people over the faceless terrorists who used incessantly raid Ife markets, we will not dignify this rascality of royalty with an expected response as we are not ready for any useless supremacy battle incapable of taking Yoruba to a greater height. 

“Most paramount on the mind of His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II with the unflinching support of baba Alaafin Of Oyo, baba Awujale of Ijebuland, baba Alake of Egbaland, baba Orangun of Ila, baba Deji of Akure, baba Ewi Ado Ekiti, baba Osemawe of Ondo kingdom, baba Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba of Lagos and other relevant peace loving monarchs in Yorubaland and in other parts of the country is and remains the much needed progress of Yoruba nation which can only be catalyzed by peace and unity, this has necessitated his unimaginable barrier-breaking unity visits he has been taking around not only in Yorubaland but also across Nigeria and internationally. his activities in the last one year on throne are enough to attest to his personality as a king of peace”.

Olugbo in a statement issued was quoted saying, “To set the record straight, Moremi remains a traitor. She was a slave captured by Ugbo warriors during one of their many raids on Ile-Ife. She later became the wife of Osangangan Obamakin, the son of Oranfe, of who was the paramount ruler of over 13 aboriginal communities of ancient Ugbomokun, which later came to be called Ile Ife.”

The statement said further, “Oduduwa came to Ugbomokun as a stranger and was welcomed in Ilero, the aboriginal palace of Osangangan Obamakin, which is still in existence in present-day Iremo, in Ile Ife. During the dynastic struggles, Osangangan Obamakin was directed by the oracles (Ifa and Osanyin) to leave Ile Ife. Moremi betrayed her husband’s trust when she exposed the secret of the Ugbo warriors’ gallantry.” Oba Akinruntan said. 

Oba Obateru Akinruntan further set a bad precedence by saying, “Our forefathers descended from heaven,  that is why we are called ‘Ugbo Atorunwo.’ We are not Ibos (Igbos), who are from the South-East, and who have their own clearly researched and defined ancestry.

Arole Oodua futher said in his statement through his media aide, Moses Olafare that, “It is a pity that at this time when everybody is lucidly tired of retrogressive royal discord generally agreed to have colossally hindered our pace of progress as a people of common heritage politically and socio-economically, the OLUGBO who claims to be the chairman of Yoruba Obas Committee on Peace and Reconciliation has suddenly without a deep knowledge of Yoruba history woken up to see royal controversy as the only tool for cheap publicity”. 

“Kabiyesi Ooni is not interested in joining issues with Oba Akinruntan or anyone on any matter that can jeopardize his peace and unity project which is already making impact in so many sectors such as Youth development, women empowerment, cultural tourism, agric revolution, unification of our elders and traditional rulers, to mention but a few. 

We therefore urge every lover of peace and unity in Africa to ignore any reckless statement capable of further dividing us, they should rather see the author of such statement as a person who poses a too armful danger to our peaceful coexistence.

Yoruba must remain united, Nigeria must remain united, Africa must remain united and the entire black worldwide must remain united because we are one before the Almighty God”. Olafare said