A Bleeding Nation - Need for Accountability ..Abuja.

Mrs Dora Akunyili plans to spend N325 million on the Rebranding Project. This is more than half of the Ministry’s capital budget for 2010. This is in addition to the N129.2milion spent on the project in 2009. Is it not ludicrous that despite the criticism levelled at the rebranding project, this government is still hell bent on wasting almost N450milion on a silly ‘cosmetic’ exercise.

The long and short of this is, by the end of 2010, the Nigeria would have spent over N1billion on ‘cosmetic surgery’.

A Bleeding Nation - Need for Accountability by seyi osiyemi

As the President lays gracefully on the sick bed in Saudi Arabia, Ministers and Permanent Secretaries have being busy defending their 2010 budget allocation at the National Assembly. This exercise is what we call ‘Budget Estimates’ hearing here in Australia. The Estimates process, whilst it exposes problems, it certainly serves to reassure the “average voter” that the Government and the bureaucracy are being held accountable.

Accountability is very important in any democratic governance. Public funds should be spent for public purposes by Governments and bureaucrats. It is not the private purse of the Government that bureaucrats or ministers can do what they like with. These are public funds for public purposes and should stand the test of public scrutiny. We should be able to hold the government responsible for its policies and the ministers/bureaucrats to be held responsible for the expenditure of public money.

The simple reasons for having an ‘Estimates’ hearing is to ensure that principles of probity, accountability and transparency are enshrined in the governance process. But in the case of Nigeria, some of the revelations coming of out 2010 budget allocation hearing are quite astonishing to say the least.

Some of these revelations are a sad reminder of how the nation is continuously been bled, by the ruling elites. Billions of naira is either been spent or allocated for frivolous expenses.
Let’s start with the Information and Communications Ministry. Mrs Dora Akunyili plans to spend N325 million on the Rebranding Project. This is more than half of the Ministry’s capital budget for 2010. This is in addition to the N129.2milion spent on the project in 2009. Is it not ludicrous that despite the criticism levelled at the rebranding project, this government is still hell bent on wasting almost N450milion on a silly ‘cosmetic’ exercise. And by the way, what happened to the N600million spent by the Obasanjo regime on the ‘Heart of Africa’ project? The long and short of this is, by the end of 2010, the Nigeria would have spent over N1billion on ‘cosmetic surgery’.

What about the budget of over N1.1billion submitted by the State House for the treatment of termites in the Presidential Villa (Aso Rock) and vehicle maintenance? How can the State House justify spending N250milion for termite treatment? What sort of termites are they? Also how many vehicles are been maintained at a yearly cost of N450million?
We also learnt during the week that, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ojo Maduekwe engaged in incessant foreign trips throughout this year which cost the public till about N2.7 billion in 2009 alone. This was just shortly after the Speaker of the House Representative, Dimeji Bankole, confirmed that the House of Reps spent N24billion on foreign travel in 2009. Haba! So if the House of Rep and Ojo Maduekwe spent a combined N26.7billion, then what about the Senate, The President, State Governors and other Ministers. Only heaven knows how much former President Obasanjo spent during his eight rule on foreign travel, considering that he was overseas junketing from one country to the other for over 300 days during his first term in office.

The Ministry of Petroleum Resources was no exception. The Ministry’s budget proposal was noted to be full of ambiguities and repetitions. It was discovered that a provision of N600 million for the construction of gas master plan in the 2010 budget, was given for the same project last year. Ha! Ha!!

The recent revelations from the Senate hearing validate the widely held perception of politicians and bureaucrats as being lazy, wasteful and fat-cats. It makes the public become more cynical and mistrusting of the politics, politicians and the political process.

The simple fact remains that, the taxpayers deserve to how public money is being spent and the justification by the Government of their policies which led to the expenditure of that money.

For, if accountability and transparency should fail, then the very confidence that is necessary to sustain a democracy will be shattered and one cringes to think what the alternative system would look like.

The legislature does have a real and major role to play. Unless we continue to have a thorough and genuine scrutiny of the policies and expenditure of Government , then there is likely to be little faith or trust in the political system.

And just before I go, I wish you all a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year.

I will be back again in 2010.

seyi osiyemi

THISDAY: The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the sum of N7,065,665,742.40 for the construction of the Vice Presidentís residence inside the Presidential villa, Abuja. The construction, which is to be completed within 20 months will be undertaken by Julius Berger plc.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Senator Adamu Aliero who briefed State House Correspondents on the project after yesterday’s (FEC) meeting explained that the project was not subjected to open competitive bidding because of the security implication of such action but was just awarded to Julius Berger because they undertook the major construction of the villa.

He said the idea behind the project was to construct a befitting residence commensurate to the status of the office of the Vice President. Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan presently resides at the Akinola Aguda residence, which was initially designed to serve as Presidential Guest House.
http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2494:a-bleeding-nation-need-for-accountability&catid=25:politics&Itemid=37

Ojo Maduekwe spends N2.7billion on frivolous trips

The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday castigated the Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe over what it calls his frequent trips on which he has spent N2.7billion. Chairman of the Committee, Senator Jibril Aminu, said at the 2010 budget defence by the ministry that Maduekwe’s trips outside the country were ‘wasteful’.
The committee said the ministry failed to disburse funds to foreign missions, thereby resulting in non-payment of salaries and allowances of diplomats in the past three months.

While charging the minister to cut down on his trips, Aminu said: "The whole budget of the Ministry of Commerce is about N2 billion while that of the Ministry of Police Affairs is about N1 billion but you have used N2.7 billion for international travels alone.

And you are even asking for increase in the 2010 budget. "These foreign travels are wasteful, you have to cut it down. There is no way we are going to give you more money for international travels."

Maduekwe said the trips were undertaken for the sake of diplomacy. He said: "Diplomacy is all about visibility even technology has not helped in reducing international travels in diplomacy.

There is no way that the travel commitment of the Foreign Ministry could be compared to that of the Ministry of Commerce."

On the non-payment of salaries and allowances of diplomats, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Jibril Maigari, said that due to a shortfall of 21 percent in the allocated funds to the missions, about N8 billion could not be disbursed.

He said the exchange rate of the Naira to the dollar in the budget was N118 but in the end the Naira fell to N150 per dollar causing a shortfall in the funds disbursed to the missions.

"The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has paid N4.5 billion to take care of the shortfall but the remaining could not be paid because the supplementary budget is not ready," he stated.

A member of the committee, Senator Bob Effiong, while expressing disappointment at the delays the foreign missions experienced in accessing their funds, blamed it on dubious civil servants.

"The civil servants are the problem. You may not know, the system is being run wrongly. Do you know that some missions don’t even have enough funds to provide some necessities?" he queried.

Replying, Maduekwe said some ambassadors were fond of embarking on frivolous trips and paying themselves huge estacodes thereby leaving little to run the missions.

Ibori Verdict: How EFCC Deliberately Boggled The prosecution

With every incident so far involving prosecution of alleged financial crime, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) makes it more difficult for Nigerians to match her public vows with her sincerity and real intentions in the fight against corruption in government.

When an Asaba High Court on Friday December 18, 2009 discharged Ibori of all the 170- count charges brought against him by the EFCC over money laundering allegations, the initial reactions from Nigerians especially those of us from Delta state were outright emotional outbursts of anger and vexation against the nation’s judiciary and the entire legal system.

But beyond our initial reflex reactions, an unbiased look at the entire trial right from Kaduna, clearly show that the EFCC by well-intended design deliberately engineered the case to fail. The reasons are as clear as they are obvious despite what the commission wants Nigerians to believe by its theatrical Rambo stance and pronouncements.

It was an outright deceit for the EFCC to fake an expression of surprise over the judge’s quashing of all the 170-count charges against Ibori? Was Farida Waziri expecting anything different from what the court actually delivered? This is the big moral question the leadership of the commission needs to answer.

The anti-graft commission in a statement, entitled: “Ibori: What the Public Need to Know”, quickly wanted the public to note amongst other things that the accused (Ibori) refused to take plea and instead raised objections to the charges; that the matter was not tried, no evidence was led or taken by the court; and that the ruling was based merely on charges and proof of evidence.

The EFCC also wanted Nigerians to believe that Ibori have only been discharged and not acquitted and “as such, we are convinced that the case is not over yet as we (EFCC) are determined to take it to a logical conclusion, not withstanding the obstacles being brought our way.” Truth be told, the only obstacle on EFCC’s way has remained the road block of deceit, lack of sincerity and political will-power and sinister complicity in the entire issue of corruption and fraud in government circles across the country. This is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

How correct was Ibori’s counsel when he said that “EFCC’s case against the former Delta state governor was irredeemably deficient because the anti-graft body did not provide evidence for its case at the lower judicial chamber.” The commission by design simply played into Ibori’s hands by its deliberate shoddiness.

The EFCC should tell Nigerians why the commission’s four officials who investigated and gave evidence against Ibori did not make statements. It was very absurd that a ‘thorough’ investigation conducted by a serious- minded agency like the EFCC over a very serious allegation of fraud and laundering of public fund had only verbal interim report rather than final written report. Does it mean that investigations are still going on and if yes, why hurry to drag the accused to court when you are not ready with the facts to prosecute the case? Even the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) did not make any written statements.” So who is fooling who? There is something not very right from the EFCC’s end of this game.

The only statement the anti-graft agency had on the case was by Nuhu Ribadu the erstwhile EFCC boss alleging that Andy Uba offered him a $15 million bribe from Ibori.” Another question here is: Why did the EFCC not call Uba to make a statement concerning his involvement in the transmission of the bribe at least Uba is still in the country and would have readily cooperated with the agency because of his interest in Anambra politics?

The anti-graft agency accused Ibori of money laundering, procuring somebody to open an illegal account, and in all the charges brought to the court, not one account number was mentioned nor details of cash movement provided throughout the commission’s submissions. If you say that someone illegally opened an account with a Bank, it means you know the bank and must quote the account number for ease of reference and verifiability. The EFCC deliberately did not do that. The commission should tell Nigerians why they filed a case of money laundering without quoting the numbers of the accounts through which the money was allegedly laundered.

Another funny aspect of this whole case was that the EFCC claimed that Uba offered Ribadu the $15 million bribe from Ibori on April 24, 2007, yet the erstwhile EFCC boss kept the money until December 12, 2007, a day after Ibori was been arrested. How could Ribadu have kept that kind of money without alerting anybody for eight months and until Ibori was arrested? It was after the arrest that Ribadu remembered that he had been keeping $15 million bribe from Uba

From the disgraceful outing of the EFCC in the Asaba High court, it was obvious that there was no case file on this particular prosecution. What is not clear is whether the Ibori’s case file was among the ones Ribadu took away when he was sacked as Nigerians were told by Mrs Waziri when she assumed office.

Rushing to the Appeal Court to seek redress on the verdict without thorough preparation will only further muddle the case. The question is: What is the EFCC going to say at the Appeal court? Are they going to manufacture the evidence that they did not adduce at the lower court?

Though the legal experts should know better, but those of us concerned think that the EFCC should put its acts together, repackage its case with its evidence which I believe they have at their disposal (or at the disposal of Nuhu Ribadu) and press a new case against Ibori rather than appealing the ruling of the Asaba High Court. This case originated from Kaduna where the charges were first filed in December 2007 and later transferred to Asaba for trial for reasons best known to the EFCC and Ibori’s counsels. There should be a way for the current leadership of the anti-graft agency to collaborate with the erstwhile chairman, Ribadu to fill-in the missing links because this is the only way, as it stands now, that the commission can provide an intelligent case against the former Delta state governor. But the big question is: Will Ribadu cooperate with Waziri when he is on the wanted list of the Yar’Adua-led federal government. You see, the deprived people of Delta state are the real losers in this whole game-plan of mischief by the EFCC. It’s a pity.

IFEANYI IZEZE IS AN ABUJA-BASED CONSULTANT ON STRATEGY AND COMMUNICATION (iizeze@yahoo.com)

Nigeria dismisses James Ibori money laundering charges

The federal high court judge in Asaba today discharged and acquitted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, of all the 170-count charge of corruption proffered against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Saharareporters had reported that Justice Marcel Awokulehin, personally approved for appointment to lead the newly created federal high court in Asaba by Ibori had struck a deal with the ex-governor and two-time ex-convict to quash the charges for a princely sum of $5 million.

How Ohakim loots Imo State-National Daily.

EFCC begins probe • Gov.’s Aides, top contractor panic • Petitioner alleges threat to life. WHAT is the true identity of Governor Godson Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State? Take one: New Face of Imo State? No. Take Two: New Rogue of Imo State? Addendum: Only the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the court of law can establish whether Ohakim is a saint or devil.

Indeed only the Law court can judge between Ohakim and his traducers who have accused him of monumental fraud even as he bestrides the South-East chest-thumping his achievement as an action governor across the Niger.
This curious question is also knocking from all corners; Is Ohakim guilty or innocent of crunching the bone hung on his neck by unbridled looting of Imo State treasury?

No matter what Ohakim's defense may be, the document on his alleged misdeed available to National Daily is damnable.

National Daily influence revealed that Governor Ikedi Ohakim is today a subject of investigation by the EFCC following series of petitions forwarded to the commission's office in Abuja accusing him of offenses bothering on contract inflation and money laundering. Ohakim is said to have bilked Imo State of monies amounting to Billions of naira.

For instance Ohakim was accused of perpetuating fraud in the award off the N8 billion dredging of Nworie River.
The contract was said to have been awarded to Ruodo Nigeria Limited owned by Chief Tony Chukwu. He aligned with the Ohakim government to defraud Imo State of colossal sums through inflated contracts. The Ohakim-Chukwu dubious partnership was said to have started over two years ago and climaxed in the N8 billion Nworie River dredging contract awarded in March, 2009. It was learned that over 50 per cent of the contract sum has already been paid to Tony Chukwu as “mobilization”.

One knowledgeable source revealed that Ohakim awarded the Nworie River dredging contract during rainy season and about N4.5billion was paid to the contractors as mobilization fee. To quell the curiosity of critics, Ohakim claimed that the contract was in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Fund.
The giant Arab Contractors was named as another construction company brought by the governor to swindle the people of Imo State. Arab Contractors are known within the Government House, Owerri to be involved in “syndicated business” or “Close circuit business”.

One of the petitioners Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha, who is the Facilitator of SLAP Initiative, a non governmental organization alleges that the activities of this company are mainly to protect the interest of those giving them contracts.
National Daily learned that a road construction contract of N25 billion spanning 150 kilometres was allegedly awarded hurriedly to Arab Contractors, TK Engineering and Boly Construction Company in March 2009; implicitly, the value of the Road Project per kilometer stands at N167 million.

National Daily intelligence accessed more list of contractors allegedly used as conduit pipe by the governor to allegedly siphon the state funds with reckless abandon.
Pinnacle Communications Limited tops the list. It was alleged that Ohakim used this company to defraud Imo State government of money running into hundreds of millions of naira. He was said to have secretly awarded the supply of IBC transmitters to Pinnacle Communications Limited on Friday November 9, 2007, at an alarming cost of N776.32 million.

But in an apparent defence of the over-inflated contract, the Ohakim-led government quickly fixed the date of the installment and the commissioning of the transmitters as May 29, 2008. However, investigation revealed that the transmitters arrived Owerri, the Imo State capital on Thursday June 5, 2008. Seven days after it was supposed to be commissioned and had problems of installation.

“They were ineffectively installed in September 2008 hence it refused to function until January 2009 when another unofficial sum of money was pumped into the project. Till this moment the transmitters are not functioning, especially the TV section, one clear year after it was supposedly commissioned,” Iwuoha stated.

As if that was not enough, Ohakim also allegedly used another contractor, Solid Foundation Construction Company owned by Prince Lemmy Akakem, the Okpataozuoha of Orji in Imo State. Ohakim has been accused of using Akakem's company to loot the resources of Imo State through the award of over-inflated road contracts. All the road projects, National Daily learnt, are yet to be completed while some have been abandoned but full payments made to the alleged company. A case in point was the 15 kilometres road from the Standard Shoe Industry Road to Amulu Mbeiri in Mbaitolu Local Government Area, the contract was awarded to Solid Foundation Company at a whooping cost of N1.3 billion.

Analysts say the road was awarded on the average cost of N87 million per kilometer which they slammed as over bloated rate, intelligence showed that the alleged road contract was awarded in January 2008, full payment made, yet at the site work remains at the grading level. Other companies allegedly used by the Governor to milk the state include; New Ideas Construction Company and Lemmy Akakem Construction Company and Bauhuss Nigeria Limited, Bauhuss Nigeria Limited, was awarded a contract to build the Aladinma Shopping Plaza in Owerri. “They have been “doing” this job (contract) since 2007. When Ohakim came on board, he saw that he could make personal money from the project. So, he asked the management of the company to inform members of the public to bid for shops in advance and pay non-refundable sums of money running into millions of naira collectively; the public started buying forms, paying for non-existent shops, thousands of Imo citizens paid these various sums of money. This scam happened in January 2008. After few weeks, the Ohakim leadership announced over the Radio and Television controlled by the State Government that the Aladinma Shopping Plaza has been completed. Also, his leadership placed full page advert in the Champion Newspapers edition of 26/5/2008 and 27/5/2008 and in some pamphlets claiming that the Aladinma Shopping Plaza has been completed but in actual fact only a little percentage of work had been done,” Iwuoha stated in his petition.

Also on the list of questionable companies allegedly used by the Governor are Felmore Nigeria Limited and Zeerock Construction Company Limited. Felmore Nigeria Limited is owned by an Imo indigene that lives in an expensive mansion at Amakobia, off Orlu Road opposite Rapour Hotels Limited. He was said to have been awarded a contract to install solar street lights in Owerri, the state capital at an over-inflated cost running into hundreds of millions of naira. Full payments were made and the work was claimed to have been done. But the “Solar” lights are not functioning. A source hinted that as soon as Ikedi Ohakim came on board as governor, the company opened a workshop in an illegal place along Aladinma Hospital Road Owerri with the consent of the governor. The company it was gathered has received several contracts running into billions of naira in Imo State since June 2007, yet, they have nothing to show for it. All the road contracts awarded to them including the project at Imo Airport (Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport), are in the parlous state.

Also discovered as one of the conduit pipes, is Amaifeke Construction Company allegedly owned by HRH Eze Okeke, a traditional ruler in Orlu. He allegedly receives inflated contracts, collects money but finds it difficult to executive the contracts. It was gathered that he was secretly summoned by the State House of Assembly for not executing road contracts awarded to his company despite having received payment over the project.

Coduc Construction Company Limited is also another pipe allegedly used by the authorities in Imo State to deny its citizens of their own share of the dividends of democracy. Coduc is “owned” by Ikedi Ohakim's brother in-law, Mr. Chinedu Chukwuonye. The company is alleged to have no materials and equipment at initial beginning for most of their earlier constructions and was mostly hiring their equipment from Matrix West Africa Limited, Macol Construction Company Limited, and Hardel and Enic Construction Company Limited. But today and on the spur of the moment, Coduc has transformed itself into the biggest construction company in Imo State with “state of the art” equipment worth billions of Imo State naira.

Iwuoha alleges in his petition that Ohakim that Ohakim has a history of financial reckless dating to his days as commissioner in 1993 in the late Senator Evan Enwerem administration as governor of Imo State.
As National Daily examined the voluminous document produced by Samuelson Iwuoha as evidence of Ohakim's despicable corruption more questions leaped out for urgent answers:
Who was Godson Ikedi Ohakim before he became Governor of Imo State? Did his party, the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and the Security Agencies thoroughly investigate Ohakim before he contested and won election as Imo State governor? Why did Ohakim suddenly abandoned his party, PPA, and pitched tent with the ruling PDP mid way into his first term in office.

The story of Godson Ikedi Ohakim seems intriguing and mysterious. It is a story which in the street parlance can be described as 'the more you look, the less you see.'

What does Ikedi Ohakim have to do with Evan Enwerem? Ohakim allegedly stole a briefcase belonging to the former Senate President when he was governor of Imo State in 1993. The incident allegedly happened on October 26, 1993 when Enwerem was about boarding a plane to London. Ohakim allegedly exchanged Enwerem's briefcase containing foreign currency with a replica at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. On his return from London, Enwerem was about to sack Ohakim before late General Sani Abacha dismissed the civilian government.

Ohakim's alleged criminal tendencies keep streaming like River Imo from where the state which he rules rather than govern derived its name.

National Daily intelligence scooped that the grand standing Ikedi Ohakim was the General Manager of a company owned by a multi-millionaire Businessman, Fidel Anujuo from Ideato Imo State. Ohakim allegedly looted Anujo's company and was sacked by his angry boss. Anujo was said to have slapped Ohakim at Government Reservation Area (GRA), Ikeja, Lagos before sacking him.

This incident is said to have been confirmed by Chief Sam Ahanonu, Managing Director of Sam Industries Limited, Lagos in an interview with a local magazine, Newsbearer volume 10 No 4 February 23, 2009.

Another concerned citizen of Imo State Stephen Nwahiri also accused Ohakim of fraud and money laundering. He further frowned at the governor's association with alleged ritual murderers and 419ners.

“…Ohakim appointed one of the notorious Otokoto ritualists, one Dominic Egbuchukwu alias Damaco, the initial head of Clean and Green Initiative.” Nwahiri said, and added that; “A certain special Adviser on special duties from Ohakim's Mbano Area who has been an active fraudster based in South Africa is responsible for Ohakim's money laundering escapades his name is Chukwem Onuoha and does nothing but stashing money for Ohakim in overseas accounts, using his fraud connection.”

Petitioner Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha further exposed the activities of Chukwu whom National Daily Intelligence gathered fell out with Ohakim when he allegedly disappeared with over N300 million meant to complete Ohakim's Five Star Hotel in South Africa. The completion of the Hotel which was under Chikwem's supervision was said to have become compelling as a result of the forthcoming 2010 World Cup to be hosted by South Africa.
Here is Samuelson Iwuoha's expose on Ohakim Chikwem financial sleaze and sexual peccadilloes:

PART ONE
ACT I SCENE I: Mr. Chikwem Onuoha and Ikedi Ohakim met for the First time allegedly in 2005 when the Imo Transformation Initiative (ITI) was formed as a socio-political group whose aim and objectives was to stop and blackmail some prominent sons and daughters of Imo State from contesting elective posts come 2007. Along the line, when a renowned traditional ruler Late Eze Dr Zeb Philips Nwosu died in 2006, members of the ITI came together and agreed to make contributions which will be used to assist in giving the late traditional ruler a befitting burial. An alleged sum of N7.2 million was raised but Chief Ikedi Godson Ohakim made away with the money from Sheraton Hotel Lagos.

ACT 2 SCENE I: When the conspiracy to impose Chief Ikedi Godson Ohakim as the Governor was hatched by Professor Maurice Iwu, Olusegun Obasanjo and others, Chikwem Onuoha was one of the people who raised money for Ohakim which was used for political negotiations. Mr. Chikwem Onuoha allegedly raised the sum of N5 million for Ohakim. Although Mr. Chikwem Onuoha was not relatively rich as at that time, he raised the said sum through his contacts. Before this period Mr. Chikwem was just the usual “businessman”.
For the purpose of this write-up, I will avoid exposing the “aspect” of business he was involved in but he has contacts in South Africa. A country he visited for the first time in the year 2000 and stayed in the house of an Imo son for six months before he found his way. He has three wives. Two South African wives and one Ideato born wife, yet he is roughly 43 years. Chikwem is from Umuaro Osu in Isiala-Mbano LGA of Imo State.

ACT 2 SCENE 2:
After Chief Ikedi GOdson Ohakim was sworn-in as the Governor of Imo State on the 29th of May 2007, different positions were offered to Mr Chikwem Onuoha who rejected them all. He told Ohakim that he wanted a special post which will enable him to be on the “move” always. Chief Ikedi Godson Ohakim understood the “Format”, hence he offered Mr. Chikwem Onuoha the post of Special Assistant on “Special Duties”. That Chikwem Onuoha is powerful is an understatement. While Dr Ada Okwuonu is “just” a Deputy Governor, Professor Maurice Iwu is the “Assistant Governor” with Cosmas Iwu, his son-in-law, his daughter as his eyes in Ohakim leadership. But Mr. Chikwem Onuoha is viewed as the “Vice Governor” thereby making him a powerful man in Ohakim's cabinet. Professor Maurice Iwu is the person protecting Chief Ikedi Ohakim from prosecution by EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau and the Force headquarters Abuja. In fact, Professor Iwu's Personal Assistant is the person doing media protection for Chief Ikedi Ohakim.
The Question now is what makes Chikwem Onuoha thick and powerful? Why is he always in South Africa, America, London, Dublin, Germany, Lagos, Abuja, Malaysia, China, Dubai? What really is his job as the Special Assistant on Special Duties?
ACT 2 SCENE 3: As far as Ikedi Ohakim and Chikwem Onuoha are concerned, the function of Special Assistant on Special Duties are as follows:
(A) Money Laundering
(B) Arranging and importing girls for the Governor.
(C) Buying personal properties for the Governor with State funds.
(D) And other Special supplies and contracts.
Let us now take these issues one after the other.

MONEY LAUNDERING: Mr. Chikwem Onuoha is the major conduit pipe through which Chief Ikedi Ohakim siphons Imo State funds and resources out of Nigeria. In simple form, Chikwem Onuoha does money laundering for Chief Ikedi Ohakim. The question now is what is money laundering? Money laundering as a criminal offense is the transfer of money obtained illegally to foreign banks, some businesses and other illegal means as to disguise its original source. An instance of this is to launder money with the disguise of looking for foreign investors to come to Imo State to establish the following:
1. The Oguta Wonderland
2. The Royal Oak Refinery
3. Mid-Western Airlines
4. The IRROMA Trucks and Caterpillars
The questions being asked are: (1) where are these projects? (2) Are they white elephants? (3) The IRROMA equipments launched on the 15th of November 2008, where are they today?
Currently, Chikwem Onuoha is building a 7 Star Superlative Hotel for Ikedi Ohakim in South Africa. This is $27 million Hotel Project in South Africa being built with Imo State funds, yet the masses are hungry. The Hotel is 72 per cent completed in preparation for 2010 World Cup. Mr. Chikwem Onuoha has apart from the Hotel under serious construction bought several properties for Ohakim in South Africa alone with State funds. However, human factor played a part later which made Chief Ikedi Ohakim to quarrel with Chikwem Onuoha. What is this human factor? When Mr. Chikwem Onuoha saw that he has bought several properties for Ikedi Ohakim using State funds and nothing really for himself, he decided to play a fast one on Ohakim when the next “runs” presents itself. This opportunity showed itself about eleven months ago when Ohakim gave Onuoha the sum of N346 million for onward “movement” to South Africa for the on-going Hotel project. Chikwem Onuoha “died” the money but came back to Ohakim few days later to “complain” that he “lost” the money at the airport. On the spur of moment, Ohakim knew that Chikwem had outsmarted him. There and then Ohakim demanded from Chikwem Onuoha the documents for the other properties in South Africa. However, at this point Chikwem knew that once he gives Ohakim those documents that Ohakim would just drop him or even mess him up. So he decided to play the hardman. He refused to hand over the documents to Ohakim. In the process both men quarreled bitterly at Chikwem Onuoha's house of located off Dick-Tiger Street, Federal Housing Estate, Owerri. Thereafter, Ohakim threatened to drop Mr. Chikwem Onuoha as his S/A on Special Duties. Chikwem Onuoha on his own part challenged Ohakim to drop him and suffer the consequences. At that point Ohakim came to his senses and realized that he had been outwitted once again. As a hot head who talks and acts before he thinks he left Chikwem house in annoyance but returned the next day. This time around Ohakim was “sober”. He knelt down allegedly before Chikwem Onuoha in his house and begged him to let by-gone be by-gone and that “they are into this thing together”. Chikwem refused to listen to him. Chief Ikedi Ohakim also complained to Chikwem's mother who was living in the village.

Chikwem's mother left the village and came to Owerri to talk to his son. She pleaded with Chikwem to release those documents to Ikedi Ohakim. Mr Chikwem still refused. Rather he gave conditions which includes (1) contracts (2) ownership of some of the properties in South Africa. Chief Ikedi Ohakim agreed and it was shared in the ratio of 7 is to 3. That is Ohakim 70 per cent while Chikwem 30 per cent. It was after these that the document were released accordingly. Today, Mr. Chikwem Onuoha, Ikedi Ohakim and Chioma Ohakim are the three people supervising the Hotel project in South Africa.

ARRANGING GIRLS FOR THE GOVERNOR
As a Special Assistant on “Special Duties”, Mr Chikwem Onuoha imports girls from South Africa, London, Abuja with State funds for Ikedi Ohakim. For so many reasons I will not like to go in details. But if I am challenged to do so, then I will have to open the “Pandora box”. My concentration is on the fraud and money laundering aspects of this revelation.

Nonetheless, it should be noted that Mr. Chikwem Onuoha is controlling and coordinating Mafia activities in Imo State Governments hence his residence off Dick-Tiger Street is always full of activities. Most of these activities are executed by his “trusted” driver Emmanuel who is from the South West Nigeria (Yorubaland). If Chikwem is traveling to South Africa today, Emmanuel will go ahead to “wait” for him. If he is traveling to London now, this same Emmanuel will still go ahead to “wait” for him. The question is, why should an ordinary driver be given executive treatment?

The truth is that Emmanuel is the conduit through which Mr. Chikwem Onuoha “carries out” his assignment for Chief Ikedi Ohakim. Also, Emmanuel does some personal “runs” for Ikedi Ohakim directly. For his “efforts” he has been rewarded handsomely. He is a proud owner of so many plots of land in Owerri and Lagos. He is also allegedly building a two-storey building in Lagos State where his wife stays.

Chikwem's Personal Assistant (PA) is one Mr. Okorie from Anambra State. His steward is from Calabar while his cook is from Akwa-Ibom. All the people working for him are not from Imo State. This is deliberate just to prevent betrayal and leaking of information. Again, it should be noted that Mr. Chikwem Onuoha is protected and guarded as if he is the Governor of the State. He has five mobile policemen guarding his house. “An ordinary S/A indeed”.

AWARD OF CONTRACTS
After Ikedi Ohakim agreed to the demand of Chikwem Onuoha as per his conditions before he released those documents, Ikedi Ohakim gave him some road contracts. Some of the roads are located in Mbano axis. Infact, Ohakim signed the contract papers beside the swimming pool in Chikwem's house in Owerri. The Governor also allegedly gave Chikwem the contract to supply Toyota Corolla cars to Imo Transport Company (I.T.C.).

It should be noted that Mr. Chikwem executed that supply through his younger brother named Uche. Because the said Uche brother has a big head, he is called Uche Ishi-Ukwu. He supplied only about thirty (30) cars to ITC, where as full payment was paid for about one hundred cars (100). The question is where are the remaining seventy (70) cars?

Chikwem's other younger brother has also benefited from the fraudulent windfall of this car supply scam. His name is Collins. He is a proud owner of Honda Saloon Car (End of Discussion) and lives in expensive hotels in Owerri, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja, apart from his three bedroom apartment in Lagos. Uche Ishi-Ukwu is currently building a three storey building at No 65 Bode-Thomas Street, Surulere Lagos State.

Chikwem Onuoha on his part has several houses in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri, South-Africa. He is currently allegedly renovating his house at Victoria Garden City, Lagos at the cost of over N200 million. Not long ago in August 2009, a portion of his private house off Dick-Tiger Street, Owerri went in flames. He spent more than N20 million to fix the house and to replace burnt furniture.

Corruption is perhaps the greatest impediment to the development of Nigeria and some third world countries. In Nigeria for instance, billions of Naira belonging to tax payers are stolen regularly from the treasury by Rogue public officers who were either elected or appointed to serve the people's interest.

It was therefore not surprising that Nigeria reportedly slipped in the 2009 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index. In the latest report the country dropped nine places to 130th position out of the 180 countries and placed 10th out of 16 West African countries. However, in the current report, Nigeria scored 2.5 out of possible 10 points emerged 27th out of the surveyed 27 nations in sub-saharan Africa, and 33rd out of the 53 countries in Africa.

Critics allege that the Ikedi Ohakim scandal is a bad showcase to President Umaru Yar'Adua's much taunted anti-corruption crusade and an evidence to adduce before Transparency International that Nigeria is bus stops away from the dry cleaners shop.

Petitioner Samuelson Iwuoha, the whistle blower told National Daily that in other to stop him from exposing the financial scam going on in Imo State attempt the financial scam going on in Imo State attempt is being made on his life and members of the family especially after the Imo State House of Assembly constituted a panel to probe the allegation he and a social commentator, Maximum Uba raised against governor Ohakim.

“I have written a threat to life letter to the office of the Inspector-General of Police with copies to relevant agencies and organizations including media organizations and prominent Nigerians” Iwuoha said.

In a petition to the EFCC dated September 26, 2009, Iwuoha accused the panel (Ad-hoc Committee on corrupt practices) of working to cover up the governor by adjourning the sitting of the panel sine die without inviting him to give Evidence and present document to support his allegation.
National Daily gathered that more can of stinking allegation have been promised by Governor Ikedi Ohakim's traducers.

Attempts by National Daily to get the Imo State Governor's side of the story proved abortive as Mr. henry Ekpe, the Governor's Chief Press Secretary (CPS) refused to answer several calls to his MTN GSM line. He, equally, did not bother to respond to the short message service (SMS) sent to his mobile handset.

No doubt, this story has only just began. There will certainly be a follow-up and National Daily, as usual, will keep you informed.

EFCC traces N5.55b houses to Attahiru Bafarawa

HOUSES worth N5.558 billion in Nigeria and abroad have been reportedly traced to the detained former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission {EFCC}.

Commission’s spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi while confirming the development said “I can confirm fresh facts on property traced to him {Bafarawa} but I don’t have the details now”.

Operatives of the commission arrested and detained the presidential candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) in the 2007 elections in Abuja last Wednesday over an alleged N15 billion fraud while in office.

It was gathered that his trial might not commence tomorrow as earlier planned but more likely next Tuesday.

An investigation conducted into the alleged fraud by the commission revealed that the former governor acquired a mansion in Maitama, Abuja worth N300 million, while a country home in his Bafarawa town is valued at N58 million.

The ownership of another property at 9, Radnor Palace Road, London worth 20 million British pounds {about N5.2 billion} is also said to have been traced to him.

Sunday Tribune learnt that the houses were acquired while he was in office, fuelling the commission’s allegation that they were purchased with proceeds of the alleged financial crime he committed while in office.

It was also reportedly discovered that the suspect claimed in his asset declaration form with the Code of Conduct Bureau that he had no property abroad, even though the date of purchase showed that the house was purchased before the form was filled.

The form was said to be the one he filled before commencing his second term in office in 2003.

He is being considered for a trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal for alleged perjury after his trial by the anti-corruption agency.

Moves were also said to be on to have his assets seized by the commission.

All the assets, according to a source, would be listed in the charge against him, to get the court to order their forfeiture to the Sokoto State Government.

The commission had already filed a criminal charge against him at the registry of the Federal High Court, Abuja and awaiting assignment of the case to a trial judge.

A source disclosed that the commission decided to seek a remand order, so that the law would not be breached in keeping him, since it was unlikely that the arraignment would take place tomorrow as earlier primed.

In some of the allegations against him, the commission accused the former governor of conspiring with others to sell the state’s shares in United Bank of Africa {UBA} Plc without any approval by the state Executive Council as required by the law.

He was also accused of unilaterally selling the state shares in state-owned Cement Company of Northern Nigeria {CCNN} to his younger brother, Alhaji Nasir Dalhatu Bafarawa, without the executive council approval.

Akwa Ibom State: $3.1 million “Etuk money” spills bad blood within government

The report of the $3.1 million money laundering involving the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has created sharp division and suspicion within the state cabinet. Mrs. Emem Etuk, a Deputy General Manager, Victoria Island Branch (3) of Platinum Habib Bank (BankPHB) was arrested on 11 November 2009 by security operatives at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos with $3.1 million suspected to belong to the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Mrs. Etuk’s inability to offer a plausible explanation as to how she came about such a huge amount, or her mission, led to the escalation of the case to the Police Force headquarters in Abuja after she had been detained in Lagos for two weeks.

Details of the financial scandal were unknown until SaharaReporters’ revelation earlier this week. Following our exposé, the governor’s agent, one "Centre for Media and Development" has issued a statement defending the governor and dismissing the link between the scam and the governor. Assuming the role of the police and the court, the Magnus Eze-led group submitted that their own investigations had exonerated the governor and that the money was meant for 2009 hajj pilgrims.

SaharaReporters can reveal however that whereas the airlift of pilgrims started on 25 October, by 11 November when Mrs. Etuk was arrested, most pilgrims had departed and all travel plans had been concluded.

Sources in Government House, Uyo, revealed that the Governor, who became disturbed about how the matter broke in the media after he had successfully suppressed the incident for four weeks following its occurrence, has ordered a secret investigation to unravel those who leaked the information to the press.

According to the sources, the feeling in government circles is that someone within the governor’s inner circle might have leaked the $3.1 million deal. The state commissioner for works and transport, Mr. Don Etim, told newsmen on Wednesday that the governor was innocent and that the report linking him to the scam was the handiwork of his political opponents.

The commissioner failed to explain the relationship between Mrs. Etuk and the governor. He also did not deny the fact of huge lodgments by the state in the bank, with Mrs. Etuk as the account officer.

Despite the public outcry and call for immediate investigation by anti-graft agencies, the spokesman for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the matter was a police affair and the EFCC would not ‘meddle’ in it. It would be recalled that Akpabio bought a Mercedes Benz GL 450 for the EFCC chairperson, Mrs. Farida Waziri, a deal that was reported by Saharareporters.

The police, on the other hand, have refused to make any public statement on the incident. Efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, were futile, as he would neither answer his calls nor respond to text messages.

But BankPHB has confirmed the arrest and the huge sum involved. They insist, however, that Mrs. Etuk was acting in an official capacity, without addressing the earlier report that, the day prior to the arrest, the bank had transferred funds meant to Abuja through properly-designated persons and with appropriate authorisation.

BankPHB also claims to have given relevant documents to the police to secure Mrs. Etuk’s release and the recovery of the money. But security operatives at the airport insist that such documents should have accompanied Mrs. Etuk at the time of her arrest, and that the documents being referred to by the bank must be an afterthought in its cover-up efforts.

A top manager in the bank, who wished not to be named, said that the all-out damage-control action of the bank was to save it from the big hammer of the Sanusi Lamido-led Central Bank of Nigeria and from an expensive image crisis.

The bank management also fears that the governor might move the state’s profitable account and lodgments elsewhere, which would be a death blow at this time of low deposits and financial meltdown.

A source in Government House, Uyo, who pleaded not to be named, said that the arrest of Mrs. Etuk was a grand plot by those opposed to the governor’s ‘mismanagement’ to bring his activities into the public domain. He claimed preliminary investigations by Government House showed that the airport security officials were tipped off.

“It is not the first time an agent will be doing this deal for politicians and not just our governor, but this is a plot by insiders and we shall get to the root,” he said. He denied knowledge of likely complicity of Mrs. Etuk’s husband who is the governor’s Special Assistant on Utilities.

Mr. Etuk was also reported to have distanced himself from the report, insisting that he could not have done what would cost him and his wife their jobs. But it was suspected that he might innocently have mentioned the fund transfer arrangement to some of the governor’s confidants in order to entrench himself within the inner circle of the cabinet.

The source noted that some members of the kitchen cabinet were bent on severing the relationship between the governor and some of his friends, who are seen as “outsiders.” According to the source, the said outsiders were being favoured with huge contracts and other patronages at the expense of the cabinet members and the people of the state.

For instance, they are known to have queried the relationship between the governor and a former Managing Director of the defunct Daily Times, Mr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, who is said to have won a contract of N3 billion to supply exercise books to state schools.

Those members of the government are said to be unhappy with the role of such people and companies as Mr. Sylvester Okoronkowo, Mr. Ben Bruce of Silverbird, Mr. Franco Facioni of ALCON Nigeria Limited, Julius Berger PLC, Prince Tokunbo Sijuwade, son of the Ooni of Ife in Osun State, whom they describe as the conduits through which the governor siphons state funds.

They are uncomfortable that Governor Akpabio seems determined to empower his kith and kin from the Annang stock, as only members of the governor’s immediate family and his personal allies now manage contracts and state funds.

One of the grouses against the governor is the alleged insistence that all contractors supplying building materials should patronise his younger brother, Nsetip Akpabio, and that the same Nsetip should drill boreholes in the “security villages” in the local governments.

The “security villages” consist of houses for the police chiefs and heads of the state security services in all the local governments. The idea, it was gathered, is to secure the support of the security agencies toward the second term bid of the governor

Nigerian police killing at will

BBC NEWS
Nigerian police 'killing at will'

Nigerian police are carrying out a shocking level of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, Amnesty International says.

The rights group's three-year inquiry details cases of prisoners tortured to death and shootings at roadblocks.

Amnesty says the police complain they are poorly trained and that criminals are often better armed than they are.

On Tuesday, a hospital in Enugu told the BBC it was overwhelmed by bodies being brought to them by police.

The BBC visited the hospital's morgue in the south-eastern city and took photographs, showing piles young men, lying on top of one another and strewn about on tables and floors.

It was established that at least seven people were last seen alive in police custody, accused of kidnapping.

Police spokesman, Emmanuel Ojukwu, responded by saying extra judicial killings were not approved in Nigeria and officers were being trained to use firearms "in respect of human rights".

'Brutalised'

"The Nigerian police are responsible for hundreds of unlawful killings every year," said Erwin van der Borght, director of Amnesty International's Africa programme, said in a statement.

EFCC arrests Bafarawa

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission earlier today arrested the former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, on allegations of financial corruption.

There are no details regarding how the former governor was arrested but our sources said he was brought to the commission’s headquarters, where he will face interrogation for financial crimes in which 47 bank accounts were used by Bafarawa to siphon off state funds as well as his conduct as Governor of his state from 1999 to 2007.