Monday, August 31, 2009

4 Hunting Questions.

A Future In Jeopardy . The 2009 budget at N3.1 trillion is already in deficit.


Today, Nigeria is increasingly becoming a basket case. The 2009 budget at N3.1 trillion is already in deficit. That has unleashed an inflationary spiral with that dreaded monster rampaging at double digits.

All the revenue projections are off. Oil production was set at 2.2mbd. It is really in the region of 1.6mbd now. The exchange rate was fixed at N125 to the dollar. It hovers between N150 officially, and N180 in the parellel market. The price of oil was fixed at $45 per barrel. For most part of the new year, it did not cross $40 per barrel. The cumulative effects of this have been instant. Gross revenue accruing to the Federal and State Governments has shrunk, thereby hampering the ability of these institutions to discharge their duties to the people. We project that before long, many states will begin to default on their credit exposures and salary obligations. Already banks and other corporate organisations are in a turmoil. The banks are exposed to the economy in excess of N3 trillion. Margin facilities and credit to down stream oil and gas companies constitute over half of that figure. It is becoming increasingly obvious that a large chunk of the money may never be repaid. That has put immense pressure on the bank's liquidity and substantially affected their ability to fund businesses. There are fears that some of the banks may already be distressed. That has raised the spectre of bank failure. What is even more worrisome, from a macro-economic perspective, is the effect of all these on the economy. For over a decade, the banks have been the highest employers of qualified manpower in the country.
But in the last few months, banks have been downsizing furiously, and cutting salaries. Fresh recruitments have virtually stopped in almost all banks. In a country already plagued by unemployment, this development portends grave danger. The United Nation (UN) recently put the unemployment figure in Nigeria at about 40million. Such large scale unemployment creates immense social problems and poses real danger to the polity itself.
The unremitting crisis in the Niger Delta which has cast a pall of insecurity in the South East and the intermittent ethno religious conflicts in the North, have made Nigeria increasingly risky and even dangerous. Foreign Direct Investors, even in the area of oil and gas, no longer see Nigeria as an attractive investment destination. Even local businesses are increasingly looking offshore to obviate the high cost of doing business in Nigeria.
To compound Nigeria's woes, the political leadership appears to have learnt nothing and forgotten nothing. It carries on with characteristic recklessness, spending tons of money on its upkeep. A careful analysis of the budgets of the 36 states and Abuja will reveal that the offices of the President and State Chief Executives constitute the greatest sources of government expenditure. In other words, the leadership elite is feeding off the fat of the land, while the people survive on the crumbs.
Business Hallmark is deeply worried, not only by the economic crisis, but by the ineffectual response of Government and its obvious lack of deep appreciation of the seriousness of the problems. We are scared that if the meltdown continues, the political viability of the country will be in grave danger. President Umoru Yar'Adua must muster the political will to initiate fundamental socio-economic and political changes that would reinvent Nigeria structurally and position it for real and sustainable national development. If he does not do so willingly, we predict that the forces of history which this crisis will inevitably unleash, will do so. The consequences, for him and his country, will be calamitous. That is the lesson of history.

http://bizhallmark.com/index.php/Editorial/96/1224.html

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Pressure On Yar’Adua To Declare Emergency On Corruption.



Idowu Samuel, Abuja - 22.08.2009

AMID suspicion against Nigeria from across the globe on its reported corruption index, some civil society groups, drawn from all segments of the country have started mounting pressure on the Federal Government to declare a national emmergency against corruption.

The groups, Saturday Tribune learnt, are mounting pressure through the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to which they had collectively submitted memorandum detailing how the Federal Government could stem the tide of corruption in Nigeria.

It was learnt also that the pressure group had earlier made a written submission to the Presidency, urging it to mobilise all the anti-corruption agencies for a new phase of war against corruption, in which case, efforts would be made to put steam into the nation’s criminal justice system to quickly resolve high profile cases of corruption in the country.

Top officials of ICPC are said to be studying the memo by the pressure groups with a view to fine-tuning the recommendations, which made a strong suggestion for the commission to network with President Umaru Yar’Adua on the time frame for declaring national emergency on the fight against corruption.

The ICPC chairman, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, had recently in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, reflected the thinking of the civil society groups when he advocated a penal policy which, in his view, would prescribe mandatory and long sentences for anyone culpable of corrupt acts in Nigeria.

Ayoola had stressed that the sentences against corrupt individuals should be served for a period of open and community service in any part of Nigeria, notwithstanding the status of the convict.

Nation-Wreckers

How Nigeria was looted blind.


Financial mess
•How Nigeria was looted blind
•N17tr stolen in one year
By VINCENT UKONG KALU(vin@sunnwsonline.com)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Mrs. Farida Waziri
Photo: The Sun Publishing
More Stories on This Section

Recently, the Director of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), Tim Daniel, revealed that Nigeria loses $110 billion annually to treasury looting. According to him, the country cannot boast of tremendous development because of the large amount of money being siphoned out of government and taken outside the country.

Saturday Sun’s findings reveal that Daniel hit the bull in the eye. Every ministry, government’s agency and parastatal corporation have been discovered to be involved in the looting spree. Indeed, during her first anniversary as Chairman of Economic Finance and Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri noted that former governors, ministers and members of parliament alone have stolen N285billion in this political dispensation.

With this and other reported cases of corruption Transparency International cannot therefore be faulted in its position that corruption is high in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that one of the reasons the military sacked the civilian government of Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983 was corruption. Corruption still continues. When what happened then is compared to the looting in the last 10 years, the former pales into insignificance. When the country started another journey in democracy, led by Olusegun Obasanjo, a probe was instituted against the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, which led to the discovery that the former military junta sole $3billion from the country’s treasurer.

The uproar this generated and the recrimination it attracted to the Abacha family did not deter others from helping themselves from the treasury, whether it is national, state or local government levels.
Saturday Sun gathered that on daily basis political office holders’ siphoned money, through various means, from the treasury. Recently, the National Coordinator, Nigeria Network on Stolen Assets, Rev. David Ugolor, revealed that the N65billion looted by Abacha, which had been returned, had been mismanaged. According to him, from evidence the Federal Government, under Obasanjo, disbursed the funds and could not provide evidence of transparent disbursement. The same fate greeted the N16billion recovered from Tafa Balogun, which was said to be missing and no record to trace it.

When Obasanjo assumed office in 1999, he adorned the messiah toga. In fighting corruption, he set up the EFCC, with Nuhu Ribadu as its chairman. The anti-graft agency started blowing hot until it turned out to be a tool for hounding perceived or real enemies of the president. Ribadu, while appearing before the Senate in 2007, told the bewildered nation that the agency had investigated then serving governors and that 31 out of the 36 of them had been found to have allegedly looted the treasury of their respected states and would be prosecuted as soon as their immunity expired.

Curiously, when the tenure of these governors ended, only six of them who were said not to be in the good books of Obasanjo were taken to court by the agency. Not much was known about the extent of looting of the national treasury until the National Assembly started probing various agencies, ministries and parastatals. The figures coming out from some of the probes that represent what have been looted are frightening. It was from the probes that Nigerian realised why the problem of the energy sector had defied solution and why the country has been in perpetual darkness. Over $16 billion, said to have spent by Obasanjo’s government to find solution to the perennial darkness, went into private pockets.

The usual Nigeria’s conundrum was introduced in the probe, which made the report to be confined to the trash bin. The hunter later turned the hunted. Ndudi Elumelu, the head of the probe committee, is now facing trial with four others for alleged perpetration of monumental fraud of N5.2b.Those involved are Chairman, Senate Committee on Power; Senator Nicholas Ugbare, his House of Representatives counterpart, Ndudi Elumelu; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Dr. Abdulahi Aliyu and Managing Director of Rural Electrification Agency, Samuel Gekpe.

Another sleaze at Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) involved N3billion alleged stolen by the suspended Chairman of the agency, Dr. Ransome Owan and six commissioners. They are currently facing trial on 197-count at an Abuja High Court. Of this amount, N77million was said to have been spent on overseas frolicking and cost of living allowances.

Yet another case of looting is in educational sector, while the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is lamenting the high level of adult illiteracy in Nigeria, the literacy commission boss was involved in N271m fraud, which is part of the amount meant to reduce the illiteracy rate in the country. According to latest report of UNESCO, Nigeria is classified as one of the countries at a serious risk of not attaining the Education for All (EFA) goal by 2015. The report claimed that there are about 60 million adult illiterates and 11 million out-of-school children in Nigeria. It rated Nigeria as one of the most illiterate in the world. In the face of this negative index, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Adult Education, Mass Literacy and Non-Formal Education, Dr. Dayo Olagunju and 19 officers of the commission are being prosecuted for the alleged fraud.

The Director of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Prof. Bridget Sokan and three top officers are also facing trial over N78million loot. Also, while the universities are crying of under-funding and lecturers on strike, the Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, Prof. I. C. Okonkwo, has been arrested in connection with N70million fraud. When his house was searched, the sum of N4.5million cash, $11, 200 and 700 Euros were found in his apartment in Owerri.

Former Minister of Aviation, Prof. Babalola Borishade, NAMA’s former Managing Director, Roland Iyayi and two others were fingered in N19billion loot. They are facing criminal charges in court.
The football house is not left out. It was recently reported that $236, 000 was stolen from coffers of Nigerian Football Federation. Funny enough, the National Sports Commission, the supervising agency inaugurated committee to trace the money. The committee, after collecting sitting allowance, did not come up with any finding.

The National Film Corporation has its pie in the shame, as its Managing Director, Afolabi Adesanya and four directors were recently arrested for allegedly sharing of N11.8m belonging to the agency.
The Trans National Corporation (TRANCOP) is also in the news as it relates to corruption. Its Group Managing Director, Thomas Isegoli, is in the net of EFCC for fraud. The amount involved is more than N15billion. He is being held with the company’s Secretary, Mohammed Buba and another official, Mike Okoli.

The GMD is said to have, in connivance with other staff, severally abused the N100million approval limit given to him by the Board of TRANSCORP. He allegedly used organisations owned by his friends and associates to siphon money through bogus and overlapping consultancy projects, contracts and services.
The Chairman, Federal Character Commission, Prof. Oba Shuaibu Abdulraheem, was last September accused of involvement in N262million scam. A petition on this issue was sent to President Umar Yar’Adua and Code of Conduct Bureau. Chief Bode George and others are also facing charges over scam in the Nigeria Ports authority. Former Senate President, Adolphs Nwagbara with Prof. Ebere Osuji, former education minister and others are also facing corruption charges, likewise serving Senator Iyabo Obasanjo and Prof Adenike Grange, who are alleged to have corruptly enriched themselves to the tune of N300million.

At the peak of the Obasanjo campaign for the cancellation of Nigeria’s foreign debt, United Kingdom Minister for Africa, Mr. Chris Mullin disclosed, on February 2005, that about N315.5billion of Nigeria’s looted funds were frozen in various British banks. He had said that Nigeria’s quest for debt cancellation would be a mirage if corruption and looting of the treasure persisted in the country. From reports, Nigeria’s stolen money kept in foreign accounts in 1999 increased from $50billion to $170billion in 2003. This was buttressed in the June 2006 edition of The Africa Report by the former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr. Raymond Baker, who had estimated stolen money from Nigeria and stashed away in foreign banks to be about $100b.

Baker, who put the total value of “dirty money” laundered globally at $500million per annum, also noted that about 50 percent of these funds, which come from developing economies end up in US dollar dominated accounts.

Saturday Sun gathered that the sum of N53.3billion owed failed banks in the country and now considered bad debts came about as a result of insider abuse or outright stealing by officials of those banks. Before the collapsed of these banks, some of them went to the Nigerian Stock Exchange to raise funds to assist them come out of the woods. This ended with much of the funds being diverted to other uses by the unscrupulous officials of the banks.

Of all these funds stashed away in foreign banks, in 2006, the then Attorney General of the Federation declared that the Federal Government could only recover $1billion.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Pot Calling Kettle Black::EFCC boss worries over abuse of public funds.



EFCC boss worries over abuse of public funds

Shola Adekola, Lagos and Okey Muogbo, Abuja - 21.08.2009

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission boss, Mrs Farida Waziri, on Thursday, confessed that it was the first time she will witness the magnitude of abuse of public funds the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last week exposed in the banking sector.

She disagreed with the claims by some borrowers that there were discrepancies in the debt profile released by the CBN and those in the banks’ records.

Waziri, who spoke with some journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, expressed surprise that the banks could grant such huge loans without any significant collateral, thereby putting the banks in a financial mess.

Speaking on how her commission intended to ensure that the debtors complied with the ultimatum given them to pay, Waziri said : “Well, they have no choice. They have to comply. Do not forget, we are working together; it is a very serious matter, pertaining to the economy and the entire country as a whole. Nigerians are watching; the international community is watching. We are working with other agencies: the Nigeria Police, Securities and Exchange Commission, NDIC. All hands are on deck.

There is no way that we will not accomplish this task of recovering the money.”

Meanwhile, one of the bank debtors, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, has challenged the CBN to publish the names and amounts owed the five banks taken over by the government to prove that the government action was to rescue the banks.

Ibrahim contended that after publishing debts of private businessmen and companies, the CBN should go ahead to let Nigerians know how the government contributed to the crisis by publishing the full list of all debtors, including debts owed the banks by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the state governments.

Manufacturers spend N1.8bn weekly on diesel -As operating cost rises



Gbola Subair, Abuja - 21.08.2009
Manufacturers operating in the Nigeria business environment have disclosed that more than N1.8 billion is being spent weekly as the operating environment gets tougher.

Also, the manufacturers, unanimously, agreed that infrastructural problem, more than fiscal factors, was their greatest headache as they carried out their day-to-day activities.

The manufactures, who operate under different trade associations like the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Nigeria Association of Small Scale Industries (NASSI), told the Nigerian Tribune that the major problem facing the manufacturing sector was the lack of power, occasioned by the total collapse of the power sector.

According to the operators, the consistent rise in the cost of diesel to power electricity generating plants in the factories across the country is alarming.

They described as intolerable, a situation where the price of diesel had risen from between N85 and N90, to between N98 and N108 per litre, an increase of more than 10 per cent, at a time that the Nigerian economy was still struggling to cope with the effects of the global economic meltdown.

However, in Abuja , the producers disclosed that that the pump price of diesel was currently between N100 and N105 per litre, adding that for some days, it would not be available.

Mr. Kolawole Ade-bayo, who has an agro allied firm in Kuje, told the Nigerian Tribune that the situation had deteriorated to the point that his 30-staff workfoce had to be trimmed down to 10 because of the high cost of production, occasioned by lack of electricity.

A member of MAN and chief executive of a paint company, Chief Joseph Akpan, disclosed that many of the association members had closed shop, while some had relocated to other countries with better operating environment, to continue their businesses.

He disclosed that the volume of diesel consumed daily in Nigeria was currently put at between 12 million and 13 million litres.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Again, he got away. EFCC, Aondoakaa scuttle Ibori trial



• Exclusive game plan document exposed • Waziri lobbies Turai, Yar'Adua's mum to save job over Clinton's comments

By BEN OBI JR.

FORMER Delta State Governor, James Onanefe Ibori is probably the happiest Nigerian today. The man fondly called Ogidigboigbo by admirers is singing a sweet song, 'Oblaadi…oblaada…' thanking God for his political eureka. Ibori, who hails from Oghara, Ethiope Local Government Area, Delta State, is in a superlative mood because he seems to have finally succeeded in his scheme to out-smart Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Farida Waziri (rtd) and her colleagues at the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to compromise on the criminal cases preferred against him: Special thanks to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Kasse Aondoakaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

National Daily scooped that EFCC has allegedly concluded plans to drop all the corruption charges brought against Ibori on the grounds of legal constraint.
Ibori is also facing similar charges of corruption in a court in Britain alongside his wife, Nkoyo Ibori and Miss Uzoamaka Okoronkwo.

Ibori is currently facing a 147-count charges of stealing and money laundering. He was initially charged before a Kaduna High Court before his case was however transferred to an Asaba, Delta State, High Court as part of the plot to finally scuttle the case against him.

The dandy suave politician was facing about 170-count charges bothering on Delta State treasury looting to money laundering before a Federal High Court in Kaduna and similar charges of laundering millions of dollars in a United Kingdom Court.

Apart from his well known cases in UK, Ibori is currently facing investigation in the United States for corruption. Ibori allegedly bought a brand new Bombardier Challenger 604 jet with monies looted from Delta State treasury.
He allegedly requested for further finicky changes four different times, the luxurious adjustments jerked the cost of the jet by another $100,000 and elongated the delivery date by weeks.

According to reports, Ibori asked for additional headrests for 12 seats in the jet to asking for the inclusion of RCA jacks to make the aircraft iPod compatible.

Ibori allegedly owns houses all over the United Kingdom, he is the known owner of 7 Westover Hill, London HA3 0LZ with title number MX 207021 according to inquires at the UK Land registry. Sources said that the property is fully paid for as of 2001. The amount paid for the property was £2.3 million; the current value is £4 million. The property is reportedly registered to Haleway Properties Limited, a company registered in Gilbralatar by a formation known as BC Centrum at 788 Finchley Road, London. James Ibori and his wife, Theresa Nkoyo Ibori are the beneficial owners of Haleway Properties.

Another property is the Flat 23, 20 Abbey Road, London NW8 9BJ, with title number NGL 699019 registered in the name of James Ibori, the property was bought in 1999 with an initial deposit of £157,000, the balance of the mortgage was redeemed with a payment of £90,000 on the April 12, 2000 almost one year into his tenure as the governor of Delta State. A final payment of £70,081 was made on July 25, 2000. The property is approximately worth £750,000.

On July 29 2005 another front company for James Ibori known as Telaton Quays Limited acquired a property known as 42 Great Ground, Shaftbury, Dorset SP7 8FF. The property is registered at the UK land registry under title number DT 326978; the property was purchased for £298,995 and currently valued at £350,000.
Other properties linked to Ibori include 76 Woodhill Crescent, Kenton, Harrow Middlesex HA3 0LZ, where Ibie Ibori, his sister and principal accomplice with regards to money laundering activities lives, the house is now worth £475,000.

There is another property at 71 Mayflower Lodge, Regents Park Road, London, N3 3HX where Ibori's mistress Uzoamaka Okoronkwo resides with the child she allegedly had by Ibori. This, the former Delta governor has repeatedly denied. The mortgage is paid to Abbey National Building Society through an HSBC current account number 21228420.

James Ibori and Theresa Ibori own a property company in London by the name Boyd Properties Limited which is managed by BC Centrum on 788 Finchley Road in London, in March 23, 2004.

Also, in Florida, USA, Ibori reportedly has investment in the real estate through HFA Development Group with account 3200056255 ABA NO 266086554 at CITI Bank,1600 Coral Way Miami Florida 33145 PRIMI LCC with offices in the United Kingdom and Nigeria A/C NO 003677025981 ABA NO 063100277 Bank Of America 2308 Pouce De Leon Boulervard Coral Gables Miami Florida 33134 and Bond Technologies which received on December 8, 2003 a transfer from James Ibori's KOLN account number 109091012 at Gulf Bank in Nigeria the sum of $74,000.00 to account number 61006602 ABA NO 063108680 with the Bank of Tampa 13868, North Dale Mabry Tampa Florida FL33618. Florida projects were mostly coordinated by Olusegun Fowora who lives in Aventura, Miami, Florida in $750,000 mansion within the vicinity of the ocean.

The EFCC had arrested Ibori after the 2007 general election when he had handed over to his successor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan. The Federal High Court remanded him in prison custody but released him eventually on strongest of bail conditions. As soon as the former governor, who was said to be one of the late General Sani Abacha's secret allies, was granted bail, he began to work seriously on modalities for his safe landing.
He allegedly applied his deft persuasive and manipulative skills within the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja, and the Presidential Villa in Asokoro.

Inside sources told National Daily that Ibori had threatened to expose the secrets of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP's victory in the 2007 elections, particularly how President Umaru Yar'Adua won or did not win the election and the details of the role played by the Independent Election Commission (INEC) and the security agents.
Ibori, according to knowledgeable sources, also vowed to reveal some shocking secrets about some senior staff of the EFCC including their hidden properties and monetary assets. He allegedly warned that he will expose the details of the looting of multi-million naira recovered from public officers, businessmen and other fraudsters. The enraged PDP chieftain allegedly accused Yar'Adua and some party leaders of betrayal, warning that he will not go down alone.

“Ibori said he will expose everything; the secrets of 2007 election, how INEC and the security Agencies were compromised. He said some senior staff of EFCC past and present are hypocrites wondering how they were able to own millions of naira in secret accounts administered by proxy and also acquired numerous exquisite properties worth millions of naira.

National Daily sources said that Ibori's threat to expose government officials, PDP, Minister of Justice and EFCC achieved the intended result as he was invited to Aso Rock for discussion on how to resolve the vexatious matter.
Sources said Ibori did not hesitate to bare his mind when he finally met with President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and later with National Security Adviser, General Sarki Muktar (rtd) and Aondoakaa.

Sources close to the former Delta State governor confided that Ibori reminded Yar'Adua about the role he played in his emergence as president in 2007, lamenting that the president and PDP have chosen to reward him with public disgrace.

Ibori, according to sources, estimated his expenses during the 2007 presidential election campaign to be about N10 billion with the condition that he will not be prosecuted by any of the security agencies when he finally vacates the Delta State Government House.

Sources in Ibori's political circle disclosed that Yar'Adua who was listening attentively to his erstwhile colleague tried to calm him down. He allegedly absolved himself of any responsibility for his ordeal explaining that he only allowed the security agencies to discharge their duties according to the constitution.
The President promised to consult with government agencies and important individuals on the strategy to be applied in saving him from his ordeal.

Ibori later met with the National Security Adviser, Sarki Muktar. He allegedly advised the NSA not to accept any suggestion that the case involving him is a legal matter, because some of the funds which he allegedly looted from the state treasury were spent on the benefit of certain former government officials and the ruling PDP.
“When I donated several millions to the Presidential Library initiated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, EFCC did not raise eye brows, I was approached to source for billions of naira to finance Yar'Adua's election campaign but no one objected to this. When I left office they now realized that Ibori stole from Delta State funds” Ibori allegedly queried.

Muktar in response allegedly rinsed his hands off whatever misfortune that befell Ibori. He said that the decision whether to arrest or prosecute former governors accused of financial crime was entirely taken by the erstwhile chairman of the EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. Muktar was said to have explained that his office is responsible for National Security delicate issues like threat to lives and property, arms insurrection, acts capable of causing disintegration of the country, civil strife, muting by the Armed Forces etcetera. He advised his forlorn guest to reach out to the relevant agencies to discuss the way out of his dilemma.

National Daily learned that Ibori desperate to get the reprieve he so much desired took his case to former PDP Board member, Chief Tony Anenih aka Mr. Fix It, PDP National Chairman Vincent Ogbulafor, Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, whom he also had a hand in his appointment, and former National Secretary of PDP now External Affairs Minister, Ojo Maduekwe.

The PDP Chieftains were said to have given Ibori the assurances that the case against him will eventually fizzle out.
Ibori was said to have particularly pleaded with Anenih to use his influence in Aso Rock to convince President Yar'Adua to personally intervene in the matter. Anenih, according to sources, told Ibori to calm down that he should consider his request done.

Ibori is believed to be one of the PDP henchmen who played a vital role in the emergence of Ogbulafor as the party's chairman. So, it is now payback time. Ogbulafor, sources said, promised to do everything within his power to ensure that he was not convicted by the trial court.

The Justice Minister, Michael Aondoakaa, who is said to have been a close friend of Ibori even before he was appointed into office allegedly told Ibori that he will study his case so as to discover the loopholes to capitalize upon in ensuring that the case died a natural death.

Maduekwe was said to have also expressed his sympathy for the troubled former Delta State governor, He said that as a lawyer he would liaise with Aondoakaa to strategize on how to absolve him totally from the allegation against him.

National Daily learned that Yar'Adua discussed the Ibori matter with Anenih, Ogbulafor, Aondoakaa and Maduekwe.

It was resolved that the President should use his influence to secure reprieve for their loyal party member who did so much to help the party achieve certain goals.

Ibori's much tainted influence among Niger Delta militants and politicians were also considered in the decision to give him a safe landing.
Ibori was factored to play a leading role in Yar'Adua's re-election plans in 2011. He has since been announced as a member of the PDP's elders committee.

“The militants may totally reject any rapprochement from the Federal Government if Ibori was convicted. Furthermore, PDP may lose elections in the region in 2011 as a protest against the fate that befell their eminent son,” our source said.

National Daily sources revealed that Yar'Adua later summoned the Justice Minister, Aondoakaa and gave him the go-ahead to find a solution to Ibori's corruption trial. That he should work with EFCC chairman, Farida Waziri to effectively and conclusively resolve the case in Ibori's favour.

Sources said that Aondoakaa carried out the President's instruction with astounding speed. He allegedly held several meetings with EFCC Chairman, Waziri, and some of the commission's top lawyers to gain a common ground on how to conclusively discharge the Ibori financial profligacy case. The EFCC at the end mandated an independent lawyer to critically study the allegations against Ibori, outline the legal weakness in the case of the prosecution and recommend how to puncture the lacunas based on the points of law.

The independent lawyer was said to have recommended that Ibori's trial be transferred from Kaduna High Court to Asaba High Court so as to create an enabling ground for the final evacuation of the allegations against Ibori.
EFCC lawyers acting the script on the agreement between Ibori, Aso Rock and EFCC under the coordination of the AGF, allegedly encouraged Ibori's counsel to apply for the charges against him to be “quashed and thereby leading to terminating the criminal proceedings.”

The EFCC deliberately did not provide adequate witnesses to sustain its charges against the accused, at the last hearing at the Federal High Court, Asaba, Delta State. This explains why Ibori's lawyers decided to exploit that at this early stage of the trial to knock off the case.

In an interview with reporters, counsel to EFCC, Ibrahim Isiyaku said “the application to quash the case was filed because they feel our evidence cannot sustain the charges. They have a right to do this now or they could plead a no-case submission after we may have called our witnesses.”

Counsel to Ibori, Austin Alegeh (SAN) who also spoke to reporters stated clearly that “it will be a waste of the court's time and abuse of court process to embark on a trial when it is very obvious that EFCC has no witnesses and cannot sustain the charges.”

Emmanuel Okosun of Alegeh's chambers classified all the 170-count charges against Ibori into “13 clusters” for ease of reference; all said to be punishable either under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2003 or that of 2004. Having outlined the clauses, Alegeh said in the application that the EFCC has failed to show in any way, and in all instances, that any “offence has been disclosed against any of the accused”.

Alegeh's motion, was hinged on three main planks; One, that “none of the counts disclose a prima facie case against any or all of the accused persons”, that is Ibori or any of his co-accused. Two, “the accused persons are not in any way linked to the offence of money laundering as charged by prosecution”. Three, “Constitutionally, the charges are incompetent as they constitute Delta State business or affairs of state which the Federal Government of Nigeria or any of its agencies such as the EFCC is incompetent to inquire into”.

Alegeh specifically claimed in section (g) of the application; “That in other words, the accused persons are not linked to any of the allegations made in the 170-count charge”. Actually, this is at the heart of the application; that what EFCC has done so far is to claim that Ibori or his associates may have moved money, but, so far, failed to show how the accused persons moved any moneys from a particular bank to another, the dates of such movement, from which bank account to another.

According to Alegeh's application, “that in particular, as all but one of the counts are based on Money Laundering Charges, it is vital that the prosecution disclose, prima facie, the illegality of the said sums in other words, it must show the predicate offence of corruption allegedly committed by the 1st accused or any of the other accused persons”. Alegeh therefore held that “the prosecution has not been able to meet this vital requirement because such illegality or proof of corruption does not exist, prima facie or at all, on the face of the documents annexed to the charge”.

Moreover, Alegeh held that the “EFCC, (a federal agency) is constitutionally unsuited to inquire into the allegations of corruption by or against functionaries of a State Government; this explains the commission's inability to provide cogent materials upon which to hinge a proper trial.
Ibori's counsel therefore asked for the case to be quashed on the grounds; “That the prosecution herein attempting to fulfill that requirement had supplied voluminous proof of evidence in a bid to show that these materials upon which the case was predicated, but that after critically perusing these documents which include statements of prosecution witnesses, names of prosecution witnesses, documentary evidence and statements from the accused person, it is apparent on the face of the said documents that no offence has been disclosed against any of the accused persons”.

Ibori was alleged to have showed his gratitude by promising to compensate some EFCC officials with money said to be several millions of naira.
It was not certain at press time if it is true that a part of the promised recompense has been handed to the Ministry of Justice and EFCC collaborators.

But competent sources within the anti-corruption agency which has come under serious attacks from the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton disclosed that from the moment Waziri took over EFCC it was clear the Ibori corruption trial would soon die a natural death. Reason: The Justice Minister was said not to have minced words in warning the EFCC boss against pursuing the charges against Ibori as Ribadu and later Ibrahim Lamurde were hell-bent on doing.

Specifically, when the former Delta governor secured the transfer of the case from Kaduna to Delta State where a High Court was hurriedly created, efforts by the EFCC to appeal the ruling was frustrated by the AGF who vehemently warned Waziri against the action.

Even when the controversial independent legal advice on the trial was contracted to a team of lawyers led by a SAN, with a mandate to The aim of this opinion is to examine/weigh the charges and the proof of evidence with a view to establishing the chances of a successful prosecution, it was clear to all and sundry within the EFCC and those outside the commission but in the know of the manipulations that the findings would never make any impacts. And true to expectations, rather than seek to dot the Is and cross the Ts in the charges and over all investigation of the alleged case of corruption against Ibori, the EFCC leaked the documents to Ibori lawyers who studied it and knew exactly how to puncture the trial and possibly get the court to quash it.

Unwilling to face the wrath of the public, Waziri had sought to withdraw the case from the court and order a fresh investigation so as to tighten the loose ends identified in the independent legal advice but was cowed into letting sleeping dogs lie. She was allegedly summoned to the residence of the AGF where Ibori was also waiting, and was warned to let the matter continue in court.

National Daily stumbled on the Independent Legal Advice document, containing the recommendation of the independent lawyer mandated to study the official allegations against Ibori.

http://www.nationaldailyngr.com/cover.htm

Details of how James Ibori used fronts and bank officials to bankrupt Oceanic and intercontinental bank



Written by Sahara Admin
Wednesday, 19 August 2009 14:01
Saharareporters revealed this exclusive information Tuesday, 30 October 2007, but because there is still a lot of cover up by the Nigerian media as to the real owners of Ascot Offshore Nigeria Limited and Notore Chemicals, we have decided to bring this information to the attention of readers.

A sworn Affidavit by the EFCC submitted to Justice Gloria Okeke of the Federal High Court BENIN, Edo State reveals details of James Ibori's owenership of companies that wrecked Oceanic and Intercontinental bank as well as the unconscionable looting of the treasury of Delta State. Ibori's Ascot and Notore owes the two banks close to N80 billion.

I, YAHAYA BELLO, Male, Nigerian and Police Officer of 15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State do hereby make oath and state as follows:
1.I am a Superintendent of Police assigned to the 1st Defendant by the Authorities of the Nigeria Police Force and by virtue of my position I am familiar with the facts of this case.

2.I have the authority and consent of the 1st and 2nd Defendants to depose to this affidavit.

3.I am the head of the team of investigators directed by the 1st Defendant to investigate the allegations of conspiracy,
official corruption, diversion and misappropriation of public funds, stealing and money laundering perpetrated by Chief
James Ibori and his aides from 1999 – 2007.


4.While paragraphs 1-9 of the affidavit in support of the motion on notice are correct paragraphs 10-29 thereof are not true.

5.Contrary to the averment in paragraph 12 of the supporting affidavit the 1st Defendant has no plans to harass any official of the Delta State Government.

6.That in further denial of paragraphs 13,14,15,16,17 and 18 of the Applicants’ affidavit the 1st and 2nd Defendants/Respondents state that they are guided by the welfare and interest of the citizens of Delta State and would not take steps that will negate the spirit and letters of the law including due process in carrying out its investigative assignments. •

7.That in answer to paragraphs 19 and 20 of the Applicants’ affidavit the 1st and 2nd Defendants/Respondents deny issuing any threats to the Applicants and has no plans to freeze the accounts of the Delta State Government.

8.That in answer to paragraph 21 of the Applicants’ affidavit the 2nd Defendant informed and I verily believe that he never granted any such interview where threats were issued on the Applicants.

9.That in denial of paragraph 22 of the Applicants’ affidavit the 1st and 2nd Defendants do not intend to ground the activities of the Delta State government but are merely carrying out investigative activities pursuant to the provisions of the EFCC Act 2004 and the request of the London Metropolitan Police in line with the bilateral treaty between Nigeria and United Kingdom.

10. That in denial of paragraph 23(a) of the Applicants’ affidavit the 1st Defendant never threatened to seal the offices of the various departments of the 2nd Plaintiff including the Ministry of Finance, the Accountant General’s office and the Auditor-General’s office.

11. That in denial of paragraph 23(b) of the Applicants’ affidavit the 1st Defendant states that it is not making unlawful efforts to procure and serve freezing orders on the Banks where the 2nd Plaintiff has or maintains accounts as alleged.

12. That in denial of paragraph 23(c) of the Applicants’ affidavit the 1st Defendant states that the ongoing efforts of the 1st Defendant to wipe out economic and financial crimes throughout the country are restoring public confidence and the confidence of foreign investors to invest in Nigeria. •

13. The 1st Defendant has received many petitions alleging the commission of serious economic and financial crimes by Chief James Ibori, his aides and several officials of the Delta State Government.

14. Two of such petitions were sent to the 1st Defendant by Concerned Elders and Citizens of Delta State from November to December 2006. Attached herewith and marked Exhibits “EFCC1” and “EFCC2” are copies of the said petitions.
15.Some concerned indigenes of Delta State have sued the 1st Defendant in the Federal High Court over the alleged delay in the prosecution of Chief James Ibori.

16. The investigation carried out by the 1st Defendant’s team headed by me has revealed the involvement of Chief James Ibori and his accomplices in the following economic and financial crimes:

i. The transfers made into the account of Christine Ibie Ibori (Chief James Ibori’s sister) held in HSBC London was on behalf of Onovin Nig. Ltd., a company solely owned by Vincent Uduaghan, a younger brother to the present governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the latter who had served as Commissioner for Health and Secretary to the State Government under Ibori’s Administration between 1999 and 2007.
ii. Investigation reveals that Onovin Nig. Ltd. was awarded a contract in December 2004 for laying of tartan tracks in Oghara Stadium at the sum of N142.9 million by the Delta State Government.
iii. That said Onovin Nig. Ltd. had secured the services of another company, a German based firm, BSW Postfach 1180, Deutschland for the supply and laying of the tracks in Ogbara Stadium.

iv. A total of two hundred and eighty four thousand Euros (E 284,000.00) was wired to the German Company by Onovin Nig. Ltd. for the job while another sum of N77.8 million naira equivalent from the contract sum was wired to the account of Christine Ibie Ibori, (Chief James Ibori’s sister) held in HSBC, London about the same time.

v. Further investigation carried out on Onovin Nig Ltd. account revealed some monthly lodgments of Delta State Government cheques of five to seven million naira spanning from 2002 to 2007 to the region N350 million naira which the owner claimed to be payments for the supply of fuel to the Government House from Total Nig. Plc. Depot in Benin, Edo State. • •
vi. That Total Nig. Ltd. which equally had the same contract for the supply of fuel to the government House denied having any dealings with Onovin Nig. Ltd.
vii. That transfers were made into Udoamaka’s account in HSBC London, which originated from three Assurance Bank Drafts amounting to about N140 million.
viii. That investigation conducted on Udoamaka’s accounts such as Sagicon Nig Ltd., Rivbbed Agro Allied, Saagaris Properties, Global Little Drops held in Oceanic and Zenith Banks revealed several lodgments of Delta State Government cheques in the neighborhood of N2 billion out of which N1.3 billion Naira were paid out between May and December 2006. •

ix. That several cash lodgments amounting to N400 Million were also noticed both in the personal “Pearl” Account and Companies’ accounts by characters such as Ede Ogoro and Charles Isiayei whom the investigation team discovered to be Private Secretary to the Governor of Delta State and Chief Accountant of the Delta Government House respectively.

x. That the investigation team also discovered other several cash lodgments running into billions of naira which were also made by the above Ede Ogoro and Charles Isiayei in connivance with some Bank officials into the following accounts: Koln Nig. Ltd., Silhouette travels, Prime Chambers, MER Engineering Ltd., Bainenox Ltd. and so on spanning from 2001 to the last day of James Ibori Administration and purely drawn from the “Security Votes” of the State under the Permanent Secretary, Government House, Asaba.

xi That Prime Chambers, one of the beneficiaries of the billions of naira cash lodgments is owned by Professor Utuama, the present Deputy Governor of the State and a former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice during Ibori’s administration.
xii That Bainenox Ltd. account in UBA Plc is being operated by Chiedu Ibie, who is also a Director of MER Engineering and Koln Nig. Ltd. Companies believed to be owned by Chief James Ibori.

xiii. That investigation on Wings Aviation reveals an on-going transaction between the Aviation Company and Bombardier Inc. (Canada) over the purchase of an air craft at the cost of USD 25 million for the personal use of Chief James Ibori.
xiv That payments were made to the UK Solicitors by Wings Aviation Parabola International Corp (a Mauritius based company owned by a Zambian (Edward Shamutete) linked to Chief James Ibori), Copex Management Service, another Mauritius firm on behalf of Erin Aviation, Pamaron Oil and Gas etc.
xv. That part of the money paid from Nigeria for the purchase of the aircraft was the USD 1 million Dollars paid to the Solicitors by Pamaron Oil and Gas Ltd from Fidelity Bank.

xvi. That further investigation however revealed that the transaction was made on the order of Bi Courtney Ltd. through another company, Flodan Ltd. These two companies which moved money for Chief James Ibori by using another company, BIADOXE Ltd. as a disguise, are owned by the same person.
xvii. That investigation on the acquisition of NAFCON revealed that O-secul Nig. Ltd., a company owned by Mike Orugbo bidded and acquired the company in 2005 for the sum of USD 152 million dollars.
xviii. That during the bid process, the sum of USD 2 million dollars was sourced by Mike Orugbo and paid to the company’s liquidators via a new Nigerian Bank for the sum of N280 million naira issued sometime in August 2005.

xix. That investigation showed that the Oceanic Bank raised the remaining money on behalf of O-secul for the acquisition of the fertilizer company while there exists no evidence of previous banking relationship between O-Secul and Oceanic Bank but the Bank felt comfortable in granting the large facility to the company.
xx. That the sum of USD 46 million dollars was received by the Bank via a Certificate of Capital Importation from Copex Management Service, the same Company that wired money to UK Solicitors for the acquisition of aircraft on behalf of Erin Aviation, this time, on behalf of ‘NOTORE Mauritius’ for the acquisition of 39% of NAFCON now NOTORE chemical industries Nig. Ltd.
xxi That the so-called Notore Mauritius is a group of foreign investors mainly from EMP a US based firm and Egypt Fertilizer Company as claimed while investigation further revealed that the duo were brought into the investment by the same UK Solicitors, Arlington Sharmas.
xxii. That another payment of N4.418 billion was received by Oceanic Bank from Brisbane Ltd. via two Intercontinental Bank Manager’s Cheques for acquisition of 13% of the fertilizer company while Brisbane Ltd. is owned by Henry Imasekha who is also the sole owner of Berkeley Group.
xxiii. That investigation on the origin of the money paid Brisbane however, revealed that in 2001 Mr. Henry Masekha used Bromley Ltd. to secure a loan of N2.2 billion naira from New Nigeria Bank without any collateral or evidence of previous Banking relationship with the Bank and purchased 10% of Econet Nigeria Ltd. (now Celtel) while few weeks later ‘Delta State Government’ bought 5% of the Econet shares from Bromley Ltd. at the sum of N2.5 billion naira via a Standard Trust Bank Draft which he used in liquidating the New Nigeria Bank facility.

xxiv. That in 2006 during the taking over of V-mobile by Celtel, Bromley Ltd. sold the remaining shares to Celtel and it is from this money that Brisbane Ltd. acquired 13% of the fertilizer company.

xxv. That investigation on share placements in Nigerian banks and companies revealed the diversion of N5 Billion from the accounts of the Delta State Government in Oceanic Bank and Zenith Bank for the purchase of Afribank shares for Chief James Ibori. The fraudulent transactions were perpetrated through the use of 14 fictitious companies such as Double Dip Nig. Ltd., Arusha Nig. Ltd., Abajim Nig Ltd., Lugba Nig. Ltd., Mombassa Nig. Ltd., Limpopo Nig. Ltd., Zaragoza Nig. Ltd., Sandton Nig. Ltd. etc.
xxvi. That the 1st Defendant’s/ Respondent’s intervention succeeded in putting a stop to the diversion of the funds to Chief Ibori’s private hands and recovered the said funds with even a benefit of capital gain on the investment.
xxvii. That the funds have since been returned to the coffers of the Delta State Government to enable the Government carry out valuable projects for the people of Delta State.
xxviii. That investigation on allegations of public funds diversion to acquire
- Wilbros Nig. Ltd., a multinational oil servicing firm in Port Harcourt sometime in 2006.
xxix That the said Wilbros Nig. Ltd was acquired for USD 155 million by a new established company Ascot Offshore Nig. Ltd. registered and solely owned by Mr. Henry Imasekha, the same character moving funds in Celtel, Oando and NOTORE chemical industries.

xxx. That on the assumption of office as Governor of Delta State in 2003 Chief James Ibori declared having only four(4) properties he acquired from 1995 and 1999 all valued at N100 million naira and seven (7) plots of land acquired between 1983 and 2000 with a total value of N5 million naira. Our investigation has so far revealed the acquisition of over 20 properties in and outside Nigeria by Chief James Ibori.
xxxi. That our enquiries also confirmed allegation of massive fraud and theft of public funds against Chief James Ibori in collaboration with the State House of Assembly members using supplementary budget as disguise.
xxxii. That supplementary appropriation was sent to the State Assembly for the approval of over N40 billion naira between 1999 and 2005 accompanied with executive letters all dated 2004 signed by Chief Ibori for the requests. The proceeds of this massive fraud are currently being traced.
xxxiii. Several billions of Naira meant for “Security Vote” by the Delta State Government from 1999-2007 were diverted by Chief James Ibori and his collaborators.
17.That based on the foregoing the 1st Defendant/Respondent has concluded investigation into the aforesaid allegations of serious economic and financial crimes and is ready to prosecute all those found to be culpable in the circumstances.



18. Apart from the foregoing the 1st Defendant has also been directed by the Federal Government to assist the Metropolitan Police in the investigation of money laundering offences allegedly committed in the United Kingdom by Chief James Ibori and three of his personal aides. Attached herewith and marked Exhibit EFCC 3 is a copy of the letter of the 3rd Defendant dated 28th September, 2007.

19.Following the directive of the Federal Government the 1st Defendant has assisted the Metropolitan Police in the said investigation of money laundering offences committed in the United Kingdom by Chief James Ibori and his aides.
20. Chief James Ibori has not filed any case against the Defendants as his civil rights have neither been violated nor threatened in the course of the comprehensive investigation embarked upon by the 1st Defendant.

21. Chief James Ibori was not arrested but invited to assist the 1st Defendant in the investigation of his alleged involvement in serious economic and financial crimes.

22.Chief James Ibori responded to our invitation and made useful statements in the course of the investigation and was therefore granted bail in self recognizance.

23. Public officers in the service of the Delta State Government and private persons including officials of banks and other corporate bodies have also made statements in connection with the allegations of fraud, theft and money laundering running into several billions of naira belonging to the Government of Delta State.

24. The Plaintiffs have benefited from the investigation conducted so far by the 1st Defendant as the sum of N5 billion illegally diverted by Chief James Ibori to acquire shares for himself has been recovered and paid back to the coffers of the Delta State Government.

25.The Authorities of the United Kingdom and Nigeria are currently involved in recovering other ill-gotten assets of Chief James Ibori and his fronts for the benefit of the people of Delta State.

26.Several assets worth £35 million (Thirty Five Million Pounds) overseas alleged to be proceeds of crime and traced to Chief James Ibori have been frozen by a British Court.

27.Instead of co-operating with the Defendants to recover the looted wealth of the impoverished people of Delta State the Plaintiffs are using the machinery of government to frustrate the investigation and prosecution of criminal suspects.

28.The Plaintiffs rushed to file this suit on October 8, 2007 in order to frustrate the investigation and prosecution of Chief James Ibori and his aides.

29.Before the order ex parte was issued by this Honourable Court the 1st Defendant had concluded its investigation and would have charged the said Chief James Ibori to Court but for the fact that he secretly left the country.

30.That the restraining order sought by the Applicants is designed to shield criminal suspects from prosecution and thereby promote corruption and abuse of office with impunity.

31.That I make this declaration in good faith. DEPONENT
• SWORN TO at the Federal High •
• Court Registry, Benin City •
• This…………. Day of ………….. 2007 •
• BEFORE ME •
• COMMISSIONER FOR OATHS •
• FOR SERVICE ON: •
• THE PLAINTIFFS’ COUNSEL •
• KEN E. MOZIA & CO. •
• 81 MISSION ROAD, •
• BENIN CITY •

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Yar’adua’s closest friend, Dahiru Mangal, and wife, Turai, are Nigeria’s biggest smugglers

Written by Sahara Reporters, New York
Saturday, 18 July 2009 10:47



In interviews with several top officers of the Nigerian Customs and Excise, correspondents of Saharareporters have been told that members of Umaru Yar’adua’s immediate family as well as his close friends are Nigeria’s most notorious smugglers.

In separate detailed interviews, our sources described how 52-year old, Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal, Yar’adua’s closest friend and adviser, has emerged as the country’s top cross-border smuggler. The officers also named Hajia Turai Yar’adua, Yar’adua’s wife, as well as her daughters as big players in the burgeoning smuggling rings.

One of the sources, who said he was involved in leaks to the Nigerian press about a ring of high-powered smugglers, said their whistle-blowing was aimed at publicizing a well-known fact. He stated that he and other concerned officers knew that no Nigerian newspaper would have the courage to publish the names of those involved. “That’s why we decided to contact Saharareporters,” said the officer.

“Before Yar’adua came to power, Alhaji Mangal’s smuggling activities were confined to the northern part of the country. But in the last two years, he has extended his smuggling activities to other parts of Nigeria,” said one of the customs officials.

The officers revealed that the shadowy Mangal had built a fortune by smuggling petroleum products through the Republic of Niger. However, with his friend Yar’adua in office as usurper president, Mangal began operating across all Nigerian border entries unhindered. Our sources disclosed that, in some instances, Mangal’s smuggled goods are escorted by Nigerian soldiers in and out of Nigeria. “Only a customs officer who is looking for death will dare to delay his smuggling trucks,” said one of the officers.

Custom officials told Saharareporters that Mangal’s smuggling operations have changed both in their nature and scope. “He used to be a direct smuggler, dealing mostly with petroleum products,” one of the officers said. Then he added: “Now, his operation includes the safe delivery of contraband goods on behalf of a variety of other smugglers to any destination in Nigeria. All kinds of dubious smugglers hire him to smuggle in their goods for them.”

The officers, who work in different parts of the country, stated that Mangal used to own a relatively small fleet of trucks before Yar’adua came to power. But they estimate that Mangal now owns a large fleet of more than 1,600 long haul trucks with which he picks up and delivers goods without paying customs.

A customs source at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) told our reporter that Mangal occasionally uses cargo planes owned by MANGAl Airlines (an airline managed by his younger brother) to deliver goods into Nigeria. “We cannot stop him or even try to collect duties because we know that presidency officials would intervene directly,” he said.

Our sources identified Dikko Abdullahi, recently promoted to assistant controller general of Customs, as the main link in the department to Mangal’s expanding smuggling operations. Dikko Abdullahi has received rapid prominence in the Nigerian customs since Yar’adua came to office; he was promoted from comptroller to assistant comptroller general in a short time. A source in Aso Rock told our correspondent that Dikko, who is married to a "sister" of Hajia Turai Yar’adua, is being groomed to take over as comptroller general of the Nigerian Customs. The source revealed that several competent and senior hands were prematurely retired from the Customs to pave way for Dikko Abdullahi’s ascension to the CG position. Abdullahi, also said to be Yar’adua’s distant cousin, hails from Musawa local government area of Katsina State.

He was recently transferred from Seme border, where he oversaw Alhaji Mangal’s and Hajia Turai Yar’adua’s smuggling activities, and made a member of the 14-member Nigerian customs management team composed of ACGs and DCGs of Customs. He owns one of the biggest houses in the Jabi district of Abuja, where he brokers smuggling deals.

Our sources detailed how Turai Yar’adua’s first big financial windfall came when Customs auctioneers were directed to auction confiscated textiles to the “first lady” and her daughters. The contraband goods, seized during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo, were auctioned off to the Yar’adua family for what Customs officials described as “a token fee.”

One source in Abuja also revealed that Mrs. Farida Waziri, chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has been “carried along” by the criminal smuggling network. The network’s involvement of Mrs. Waziri is to ensure that her agency does not scrutinize Mangal’s illicit activities as the EFCC did in the past. To keep Mrs. Waziri happy, the smuggling network has made her a regular beneficiary of auctioned contraband goods. Our informants revealed that the controversial EFCC chairperson, who is embedded with numerous corrupt public officials, has used aliases to disguise her identity in the auctioneering deals.

Farida Waziri's customized auction


Saharareporters has obtained copies of five of such transactions between Mrs. Waziri and the “Joint Disposal Committee Overtime and Abandoned Goods.” The documents show that a variety of contraband goods, including electronics and vehicles, were sold to Mrs. Waziri under the names of “Amina Sambo of 5 Zaria Road, Kaduna”, “Elizabeth Chukwu of Market Close, Aba”, “Mariam Haruna of 3 Kwai Road, Jos”, “Esther John of 10 Emeka Close, Enugu”, and “Tabitha Joshua of 2 Pam Road, Jos”. All the transactions were done on May 4th 2009.

http://www.saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3239:yaraduas-closest-friend-dahiru-mangal-and-wife-turai-are-nigerias-biggest-smugglers-say-customs-sources&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18
In interviews with several top officers of the Nigerian Customs and Excise, correspondents of Saharareporters have been told that members of Umaru Yar’adua’s immediate family as well as his close friends are Nigeria’s most notorious smugglers.


In separate detailed interviews, our sources described how 52-year old, Alhaji Dahiru Barau Mangal, Yar’adua’s closest friend and adviser, has emerged as the country’s top cross-border smuggler. The officers also named Hajia Turai Yar’adua, Yar’adua’s wife, as well as her daughters as big players in the burgeoning smuggling rings.

One of the sources, who said he was involved in leaks to the Nigerian press about a ring of high-powered smugglers, said their whistle-blowing was aimed at publicizing a well-known fact. He stated that he and other concerned officers knew that no Nigerian newspaper would have the courage to publish the names of those involved. “That’s why we decided to contact Saharareporters,” said the officer.

“Before Yar’adua came to power, Alhaji Mangal’s smuggling activities were confined to the northern part of the country. But in the last two years, he has extended his smuggling activities to other parts of Nigeria,” said one of the customs officials.

The officers revealed that the shadowy Mangal had built a fortune by smuggling petroleum products through the Republic of Niger. However, with his friend Yar’adua in office as usurper president, Mangal began operating across all Nigerian border entries unhindered. Our sources disclosed that, in some instances, Mangal’s smuggled goods are escorted by Nigerian soldiers in and out of Nigeria. “Only a customs officer who is looking for death will dare to delay his smuggling trucks,” said one of the officers.

Turai Yar'adua
Custom officials told Saharareporters that Mangal’s smuggling operations have changed both in their nature and scope. “He used to be a direct smuggler, dealing mostly with petroleum products,” one of the officers said. Then he added: “Now, his operation includes the safe delivery of contraband goods on behalf of a variety of other smugglers to any destination in Nigeria. All kinds of dubious smugglers hire him to smuggle in their goods for them.”

The officers, who work in different parts of the country, stated that Mangal used to own a relatively small fleet of trucks before Yar’adua came to power. But they estimate that Mangal now owns a large fleet of more than 1,600 long haul trucks with which he picks up and delivers goods without paying customs.

A customs source at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) told our reporter that Mangal occasionally uses cargo planes owned by MANGAl Airlines (an airline managed by his younger brother) to deliver goods into Nigeria. “We cannot stop him or even try to collect duties because we know that presidency officials would intervene directly,” he said.

Our sources identified Dikko Abdullahi, recently promoted to assistant controller general of Customs, as the main link in the department to Mangal’s expanding smuggling operations. Dikko Abdullahi has received rapid prominence in the Nigerian customs since Yar’adua came to office; he was promoted from comptroller to assistant comptroller general in a short time. A source in Aso Rock told our correspondent that Dikko, who is married to a "sister" of Hajia Turai Yar’adua, is being groomed to take over as comptroller general of the Nigerian Customs. The source revealed that several competent and senior hands were prematurely retired from the Customs to pave way for Dikko Abdullahi’s ascension to the CG position. Abdullahi, also said to be Yar’adua’s distant cousin, hails from Musawa local government area of Katsina State.

He was recently transferred from Seme border, where he oversaw Alhaji Mangal’s and Hajia Turai Yar’adua’s smuggling activities, and made a member of the 14-member Nigerian customs management team composed of ACGs and DCGs of Customs. He owns one of the biggest houses in the Jabi district of Abuja, where he brokers smuggling deals.

Our sources detailed how Turai Yar’adua’s first big financial windfall came when Customs auctioneers were directed to auction confiscated textiles to the “first lady” and her daughters. The contraband goods, seized during the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo, were auctioned off to the Yar’adua family for what Customs officials described as “a token fee.”

One source in Abuja also revealed that Mrs. Farida Waziri, chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has been “carried along” by the criminal smuggling network. The network’s involvement of Mrs. Waziri is to ensure that her agency does not scrutinize Mangal’s illicit activities as the EFCC did in the past. To keep Mrs. Waziri happy, the smuggling network has made her a regular beneficiary of auctioned contraband goods. Our informants revealed that the controversial EFCC chairperson, who is embedded with numerous corrupt public officials, has used aliases to disguise her identity in the auctioneering deals.

Farida Waziri's customized auction


Saharareporters has obtained copies of five of such transactions between Mrs. Waziri and the “Joint Disposal Committee Overtime and Abandoned Goods.” The documents show that a variety of contraband goods, including electronics and vehicles, were sold to Mrs. Waziri under the names of “Amina Sambo of 5 Zaria Road, Kaduna”, “Elizabeth Chukwu of Market Close, Aba”, “Mariam Haruna of 3 Kwai Road, Jos”, “Esther John of 10 Emeka Close, Enugu”, and “Tabitha Joshua of 2 Pam Road, Jos”. All the transactions were done on May 4th 2009.

Clinton - Leadership Has Failed Nigeria.




Abdulfattah Olajide, Charles Onunaiju & Aisha Umar

13 August 2009

American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday in Abuja said Nigerian leadership has failed at all levels, with poverty deepening and corruption firming its roots. On her first full day in Nigeria as part of a seven-nation, 11-day African tour, Mrs. Clinton called for stout action against graft as well seamless electoral reforms so that Nigeria could take up what she said was its rightful place in the international community.

Speaking at Town Hall Meeting jointly organised by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, Mrs. Clinton said, "The most immediate source of the disconnect between Nigeria's wealth and its poverty is a failure of governance at the federal, state and local level."

"The lack of transparency and accountability has eroded the legitimacy of the government and contributed to the rise of groups that embrace violence and reject the authority of the state," she said.

Cutting off applause from a boisterous crowd mid-sentence, Clinton said that the United States supported Nigeria's entry in the Group of 20--the club of key rich and developing nations--but hesitated because of its corruption.

She said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which had been "doing good work in the past has fallen back in the past one year."

Clinton rattled off a string of figures, including a World Bank study that Nigeria's corruption and related problems had cost the country some 300 billion dollars over the past three decades.

"The raw numbers are staggering but they don't tell you how many hospitals and roads could have been built; they don't tell you how many schools could have opened, or how many more Nigerians could have attended college or how many mothers might have survived childbirth if that money had been spent differently," said an enlivened Clinton.

"Today I'm in Nigeria, a country that produces two million barrels of oil a day, has the 7th largest oil reserve than any country in the world. But according to the UN, the poverty rate in Nigeria has gone up from 46 per cent to 76 per cent over the last 13 years," Mrs. Clinton said.

She said the rising religious extremism, militancy and criminality in Nigeria were obvious signals of social exclusion, and said the key to lasting solution was effective governance, service delivery and social inclusion.

Mrs. Clinton told an audience that include civil society groups, opposition politicians and government officials that fixing Nigeria's electoral system is at the core of any meaningful political reform.

American top diplomat acknowledged that Nigeria has taken some meaningful steps in collaborating with relevant international agencies in curbing human trafficking, but said the country failed in electricity generation and tackling poverty.

The U.S. Secretary of State had earlier met with President Umaru Yar'adua at the State House Abuja, where Yar'adua admitted that Nigeria has good governance challenges and reaffirmed his commitment to rectifying the situation.

Briefing newsmen after the closed-door meeting between the president and Mrs. Clinton, Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe said Yar'adua acknowledged before Mrs. Clinton that Nigeria has challenges in the areas of corruption, rule of law and electoral reform and pledged to intensify efforts to address the problems.

Asked to explain how the president specifically reacted to Clinton's earlier remarks that Nigeria lacks good governance and good leadership, Maduekwe said Yar'adua told her that Nigeria shares U.S. President Barack Obama' s concern about corruption, flawed elections and bad leadership in Africa.

"The president's position about good governance, the need to fight corruption and the issue of the rule of law, it was clear to the Secretary of State that both President Yar'adua and President Obama are on the same page on these issues," the minister said. "It was a great conversation--electoral reforms and commitment to the rule of law, the fight against corruption. The president acknowledged that we have serious challenges there. The President made it clear that the whole thing goes even more than the rule of law. It's about attitude and this affects the integrity of the electoral process," he added.

He said Nigeria and the US government have resolved to establish a joint commission to address the leadership challenges facing the country. "One of the most powerful indications of that partnership is that the secretary of state has pledged the commitment of the Obama administration to evolve a special relationship with Nigeria that will warehouse in what could be known as US/Nigeria Bi-National Commission," the minister said.

He said the meeting between Clinton and the president was "very productive, the way you will expect it to be among friends. Honest, candid, encouraging, mutually inspiring, mutually re-enforcing and ultimately strategic".

Maduekwe denied reports that the American Embassy did not involve the Nigerian government in the planning of Clinton's itinerary while in Nigeria, saying the embassy consulted and collaborated with his ministry to ensure the success of the visit.

Mrs. Clinton leaves Nigeria today to Liberia. She will move on to Cape Verde before returning to Washington.

Copyright © 2009 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).

Friday, August 7, 2009

Dangote; the Big Fish that should be in Jail, now NSE President!



Written by Daniel Elombah
Friday, 07 August 2009 08:32
Article Index
Dangote; the Big Fish that should be in Jail, now NSE President!
NSE President

The appointment of Aliko Dangote as the 17th President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange after months of controversies, accusations and speculations, comes as a shock and huge disappointment to all that wished for the enthronement of an enduring business ethics and corporate governance in the Nigeria capital market.

Dangote, who, until his election, was the First Vice President of the NSE, emerged the President, following his appointment by the NSE Council members in Lagos by unanimous acclamation.

Prior to the AGM, there was heavy tension, as the capital market community was inundated with conflicting reports about the conduct of AGM. There were speculations that the AGM and elections would not hold, following controversies surrounding Dangote’s alleged involvement in the manipulation of African Petroleum’s Plc share price.

Different parties had called for the resignation of Dangote from the Council of the NSE, while other groups had gone to court, praying the court to stop the conduct of the elections.

Just a few months ago, in April 2009 to be precise, there were strident calls for Dangote to resign as vice chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) following the murk and dirt that arose from the bitter rivalry between Nigeria`s richest oligarchs; Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola.

It was felt that Dangote should resign his post as vice chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) over perceived conflict of interests in the financial saga that saw the SEC suspend and fine Nova Finances Securities owned by Eugene Anenih, a Dangote proxy.

The reason of the nasty money feud between Mr. Femi Otedola and Alhaji Aliko Dangote lie somewhere between the very origins of their stupendous wealth, the very nature of their merchandise and the peculiar rules of engagement in the jungle of primitive accumulation of wealth in which they navigate.

Their feud threatened to drown some major banks and obliterate whatever is left of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The stupendous wealth ascribed to these men was one of the predictable legacies of the Obasanjo presidency and its Yar’Adua aftermath. Through the manipulation of state power, Obasanjo either created or fed a carefully selected oligarchy of mega rich Nigerians.

Through a flawed privatisation exercise, carefully chosen national assets were sold to these cronies while lucrative licences, monopolies and concessions for telecommunications, petroleum products imports, and essential daily need items were generously handed out to a few individuals, much like the Russian Oligarchs.

Pressured to resign

Dangote, the billionaire businessman and Vice President of the Council of the Nigeria Stock Exchange, came under intense pressure to resign from the council before the Annual General Meeting of the NSE.

The Committee in calling dangote to resign, took into consideration Dangote's status, image and position in the country and felt it would be better to appeal to him to resign rather wait till August during the AGM when the council might vote on his eligibility to become the president of the NSE on moral and ethical grounds.

The council took the decision as a result of the market's perception of Dangote's alleged role in the price manipulation of African Petroleum Plc's shares early in the year.

What was the accusation against Dangote?

In a glaring case of Insider trading – a crime all over the world, The SEC suspended Nova Finance Securities last Thursday March 26, 2009 after investigations uncovered unethical practices. The SEC investigation triggered another investigation into Afribank Registrars; accused of aiding and abetting the unethical practices by Nova Finance Securities.

Afribank Registrars - who are registrar to AP plc – confirmed that the SEC'S complaint rests on the failure of Afribank Registrars' internal control mechanism to detect or prevent the dubious transactions by Nova Finance Securities and that its records were falsified to cover up the illegal transactions.

The suspension and fine of Nova Finances & Securities may not be evidence of the guilt of Afribank Registrars but it provides the clearest evidence of the complicity of the group of Dangote consortium partners in masterminding the fraud.

After several months of denial, the suspension of Nova Finances is a very sad illustration of the way business is done in Nigeria and the mindless audacity of some people in authority like Dangote.

Curiously, Dangote did not sever all his ties to Nova. In fact during the period under review, Dangote and Nova with the assistance of Afribank Registrars fraudulently swapped a total volume of five hundred thousand units of irredeemable non-cumulative convertible preference shares in ten different transactions, which were admitted to the daily official loss of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The ensuing panic and loss of share value created a scary scenario for AP investors.

The result was that shareholders lost of confidence in AP shares, leading to a massive exodus of existing shareholders, who hurriedly offloaded their AP shares and precipitating a sharp decline in its price.

This was a serious case of unethical practices, ie insider dealing and cross-share trading, “Nova and Aliko were just crossing shares between themselves, there were no money exchanged; rather they were even losing money by paying commissions for the swaps”.

The management of AP accused Nova Finance and Securities Ltd. and Alhaji Aliko Dangote of unethical manipulation of AP shares. This, the company claimed, had led to a decline in value of its shares. It is imperative to note that this type of negative stories is partly why many Nigerians have lost confidence in the stock market.

In the United States, Martha Stewart dipped her hand in the Cookie jar of insider trading, and the laws caught up with her, despite her riches and affiliations with the top echelons of the political class of the United States. As soon as she was indicted, her fellow big fishes abandoned her and left the law to take its cause against Stewart.

In a demonstration of the dictates of a country that not just mouths Rule of Law but practices it, Stewart paid the ultimate penalty for the crime after the verdict was handed over by the jury: Jail term for months.

But in the drama of this Dangote and Otedola insider trading mess, the big fish, Dangote can never go to jail for insider trading that he was accused of. He is a big fish, and big fishes never go to jail in Nigeria no matter what happens.

It took the vigilance of the management of African Petroleum (AP) Plc to spot and blow the whistle on the finagling with the price of the company's shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. But by the time it raised the alarm through advertorials in the print media in March, the company's estimated 160,000 shareholders had lost about N240 billion in the value of their stocks.

http://www.saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3400:dangote-the-big-fish-that-should-be-in-jail-now-nse-president&catid=82:guest-contrib&Itemid=199

Thursday, August 6, 2009

How ‘diverted’ N6bn UBEC fund aided Boko Haram crisis.




Date Published: 08/03/09

How ‘diverted’ N6bn UBEC fund aided Boko Haram crisis

Could the recent orgy of violence unleashed by the Boko Haram sect in some parts of Northern Nigeria have been averted if Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the principal agency of government vested with the responsibility of educating the Nigerian child up to tertiary level, had not diverted N6 billion meant for feeding indigent school children?

This is one of the many questions raised by top security officials in the wake of the sectarian violence in some parts of Northern Nigeria, which left over 700 dead and damage to property worth tens of millions of naira. A number of military and police officers also lost their lives to the crisis.

Sources close to the ministry told Pointblanknews.com that the minister of education, Dr. Sam Egwu, and his deputy minister, Mrs. Aishatu Dukku, are so unsettled by the consensus in security circles that the crisis could have been averted if Dukku had not approved a memo by UBEC for the diversion of close to N6 billion meant for the Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSF&HP).

The security officials, Pointblanknews.com learned, are analyzing the confessional statements by several members of the Boko Haram sect arrested in the wake of the crisis, that they were lured by the daily free meals by the sect leader, Mohammed Yusuf, in addition to the Islamic education he offered. No government-run school had answers to their ever hungry stomachs, they had reportedly explained.

Initiated in 2005 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, HGSF&HP was designed to feed indigent pupils in schools, particularly in the rural areas, to discourage them from dropping out of school. With the prospect of a meal every day, Obasanjo had thought, more children would like to enroll in school.

To fund the programme, the Obasanjo administration had earmarked five percent of the two percent of the Consolidated Federal Revenue used to fund UBEC. A pilot programme was then conducted in 2006 in 12 states drawn from the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and was adjudged “fairly successful.”

“So important is the school feeding programme,” a top officer in the ministry told Pointblanknews.com, “that the honorable minister (Sam Egwu) identified it as one of the most important ‘turn-around strategies’ in a road map to the success of education in Nigeria.”

Egwu in the 150-page road map had urged government to “Promote State-driven incentives, such as mid-day meals, uniforms, transportation etc” and “improve health and nutrition of pupils and students.”

But since assuming office as UBEC boss, Pointblanknews.com learned, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed suspended all aspects of the programme on the grounds that it was not feasible and instead, diverted the steady stream of money for the programme into a special account.



Said an UBEC management staff: “Ever since the honorable minister got Mr. President’s approval on the road map, nothing has been heard of it because Modibbo and Dukku would rather it didn’t work because the state SUBEBs and not they would be involved in the implementation of the programme. Since not a kobo would come their way, the duo insists that, not only is it not workable, but impracticable. They have chosen to, instead divert the money into one of the 37 accounts they use to siphon money in UBEC.

According to this source, “not knowing what to do with the money, Dukku and Moddibbo sat down and craftily designed a plan to settle themselves, their cronies, and such members of the UBEC board who ‘have been of good conduct’” by initiating a contract for the supply of textbooks.

“The money in this special account has now swelled to about N5.7 billion, and it is this money that Modibbo and the minister of State, (Aishatu Dukku) have diverted to fund contracts awarded themselves and their cronies for the printing and supply of textbooks,” a source close to Dukku told Pointblanknews.com.

These contracts, Pointblanknews.com gathered, was in sheer defiance of the objection by the chairmen of 36 States Universal Basic Education Boards of Modibbo’s “guidelines for the implementation of FGN-UBE counterpart funds and illegal charging of fees.”

The UBEC boss had claimed in a recent memo to Dukku that, he had, at a recent retreat with 36 states’ SUBEB chairmen, sought and secured their approval to “centralize” or take charge of the purchase of textbooks and instructional materials. He had sought the minister’s permission to divert the home grown feeding money to pay for textbooks. Dukku promptly acquiesced.

But in a strongly worded letter, 36 SUBEB chairmen emphatically refuted all the claims by Modibbo, insisting on “the unambiguous provision of Section 11 (3) (of the UBEC Act) which states, ‘The administration and disbursement of funds shall be through the State Universal Basic Education Boards.”

The chairmen, in the letter declared: “The Forum therefore considers your statement that the retreat ‘unanimously resolved that professional development programmes for teachers and procurement of text book materials be centralized’ as a complete misrepresentation of the proceedings and decisions of that retreat.”

They concluded: “Hence the memo presented to the Federal Executive Council by the Honorable Minister of State for Education(Dukku) consequent upon the purported decisions of the report is unjustifiable (and) we maintain that the Federal Executive Council was misled in to giving its approval to the memo.”

The letter, dated 3 rd June, 2009, was signed by the Dean of the Forum of SUBEBs, Mohammed Aliyu Anka.

However strong their protest was, Pointblanknews.com investigation revealed that the anger of the chairmen of SUBEBs was not sufficient to stop the Ministerial Tenders Board to meet a week later to approve the contract for the award of contract for the supply of textbooks.

In a letter dated 22 nd June, 2009, the Ministerial Tenders Board authorized Modibbo to award contracts totaling N3.3 billion, with assurances that “the six items on Annex B of your submission has (sic) been forwarded for Federal Executive Council’s consideration, accordingly.” The letter was signed on behalf of the minister by one Mrs. J.M. Agwal.

The six items in Modibbo’s Annex B, Pointblanknews.com investigations reveal, are contracts whose value are in excess of N200 million, and they total N2.45 billion.

Pointblanknews.com gathered from Presidency sources that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) is expected to give “express approval” to the “six items” on Modibbo’s memo to the Ministerial Tenders Board, totaling N2.45 billion.

According to the source, “we are not expecting any problems or objections when FEC meets on Wednesday because most members understand that to object would be courting the trouble of First Lady Turai (Yar’adua), Said Abba Ruma (Minister of Agriculture), and Yayale Ahmed (Secretary to the Government of the Federation), and the notorious smuggler Dahiru Mangal, whose interests are well accommodated in the contracts.”

Even as FEC meets to consider the “six items”, the list of successful contractors published by the Ministerial Tenders Board has continued to set tongues wagging. Insiders strongly opine that the main criterion for selecting the “successful” companies was their ties to top officials of the education ministry.

For instance, one of the successful bidders, Binani Enterprises, which won a N160 million contract for the supply of 109,943 copies of Macmillan Primary English course book 4 in Lot EMPR3 and contract for the supply of 320,000 copies of Think and Do: Activity Based Science Book for Primary Four, in Lot SCTDNC, is said to belong to Modibbo’s mistress, Aisha Dahiru.

Ms. Dahiru’s Binani Enterprises, according to investigations, is one of the main contractors/suppliers in UBEC as well as National Teachers Institute (NTI), where Modibbo served as Director for close to eight years. Binani handled the camping of 18,000 participants for the controversial National Teachers’ Scheme in which her lover, Modibbo, claimed over 40,000 participated.

Binani, Pointblanknews.com investigations reveal, had in the past handled events management, printing works, supply of office furniture, general cleaning services, catering, travel agency, recruitment consultants, among others, for UBEC. “So, this Binani woman has landed herself a printing job?” queried one UBEC official, adding, “well, don’t be surprised to hear one day that she has been appointed our ES (Executive Secretary.”
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Another source in the ministerial board who supplied Pointblanknews.com with documents, expressed confusion as to “why such reputable publisher like Heinemann and Evans Publishers didn’t qualify yet we had such funny names as Quest Ventures, Jomaco, Golden Crescent, Triangular Communications, Binwa, Al-Hazen, Ojunwa Press, Bancorp, Al-Mala, and Ginyike were asked to supply books worth billions of naira. Something just doesn’t add up.”

Pointblanknews.com also gathered from very dependable sources that Cigo-Vag, which won an N81 million contracts Lot SCTDSW to supply 300,000 Think and Do science textbooks, belongs to Modibbo’s elder brother, Yahaya Mohammed. “Cigo-Vag had in the past done tiling and consultancy jobs in UBEC,” said a top UBEC official.

Pointblanknews.com investigations revealed that the major problem with the UBEC “bazaar” may be that Modibbo and Dukku may be actually “out to settle themselves big time!”

The duo are believed to own over 80 percent of the “successful” companies, while UBEC chairman, Professor Tunde Adeniran, is believed to be responsible for the last minute inclusion of Ojunwa Press which, like Binani, won Lots to supply 105, 385 copies of “Macmillan Premier Mathematics” to Borno and Bayelsa States.

According to sources in the UBEC Procurement Unit, which Modibbo had “imported” from his former office in NTI haven redeployed key officers in UBEC’s procurement unit, “Oga and Madam Minister (Modibbo and Dukku) brought” Binani, Triangular Communications, Golden Crescent, Isani Ventures, Binwa , Al-Malal, Cigo-Vag, W.A Books and Bancorp.

Also listed as Modibbo’s fronts are Al-Hazen, Infinity Telecoms, Al-Mala and Ginyike.

Some insiders in UBEC’s procurement unit also faulted the Ministerial Tenders Board for what they said was arbitrariness in fixing the unit prices of the books and the cost of transportation.

“For instance,” said a procurement officer, “we cautioned them (Modibbo and Dukku) that it not justifiable for Cigo-Vag in Lot SCTDSW to charge N200,000 for transporting 300,000 copies of Think and Do Science textbooks to the South-west, while Isani Ventures in Lot SCTDSE is paid N500,000 for the transportation of 300,000 copies of the same books to the South-east.

Also, while contracts were awarded to Macmillan for the “printing and distribution of 80,250; 88,275; and 93,625 copies of 107 titles of Library Resources Materials of varying quantities” for North east, North west and North central states amounting to over N162 million, none of the three geo-political zones in the South were included.

http://www.pointblanknews.com/os1997.html