Tag Archives: Ex-Gov

EFCC Detains Ex-gov Udenwa For Failing To Refund N350m

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former Imo State Governor, Achike Udenwa, for allegedly receiving N350m from the Director of Finance of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, during the build-up to the 2015 presidential elections.

The money was said to have been part of the N4bn that emanated from the imprest account of the Office of the National Security Adviser domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

According to the EFCC, Udenwa who was the Imo State coordinator of the campaign organisation, had admitted in his statement of oath that he received the money via Diamond Bank account 0058805692 and 005950791 respectively on January 14 and January 28, 2015 in three separate instalments.

Udenwa explained that he and a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri, who was his deputy at the presidential campaign organisation, were the two signatories to the Diamond Bank account that received the money.

Onwuliri has since left the country.

Investigations revealed that the money came from a company named Joint Trust Dimension Limited which is said to be owned by Usman.

This same company was charged alongside Usman and the Media Director of the campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, before a Federal High Court in Lagos on a similar allegation.

Fani-Kayode had also admitted receiving N840m through the account while the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae, received N100m through his company, Marecco Nigeria Limited.

A source at the EFCC said, “Upon his arrest, Udenwa was immediately granted administrative bail by the commission with condition that he should be reporting to the commission at an appointed time. But while enjoying his administrative bail, Udenwa chose to deliberately skip reporting, thereby compelling the commission to revoke his administrative bail pending his arraignment soon.”

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$115m Diezani Bribe: EFCC Arrests Ex-Military Governor For Collecting N450m

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a former Military Administrator of Akwa Ibom State and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga(retd) for his alleged role in the $115m bribe involving a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Sources at the EFCC told our correspondent last night that after the money was converted to N23bn, the suspect received N450m through Fidelity Bank Plc.

The EFCC source stated that he would be charged to court soon.

He said, “He was arrested in Port- Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday.  Nkanga was alleged to have collected the money in two tranches, from an employee of Fidelity Bank in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Saint- Anthony Ejiowu.

“The first tranch of the money, a sum of N350m was collected on March 27, 2015 while the second tranche of N100m was collected on March 31, 2015. Nkanga signed for the two tranches.

“He is in the custody of the EFCC and would be charged to court soon.”

The EFCC had last week arrested the Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Emeka Okonkwo, for his alleged role in the scam.

The money in question was said to have been used in bribing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

 

Credit: Punch

Appeal Court Quashes Ex-Gov Nyako’s Impeachment

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The Yola Division of Federal Court of Appeal, Adamawa State, yesterday nullified the impeachment of Former Governor Murtala Nyako. The five Judges led by Justice Jumai Hannatu Sankey in a unanimous judgment, described Nyako’s impeachment as a high level of impunity, recklessness, rascality and a constituted gross of legislative powers by the Adamawa State House of Assembly.

The judges condemned in unequivocal terms the gross abuse of the legislative powers by the lawmakers to achieve orchestrated, premeditated and selfish motives. They averred that the impeachment of the former governor was a misuse of the powers and privileges of the legislature and declaring the impeachment as null, void and of no effect. Justice Tunde Awotoye while delivering his judgment, noted that the respondents took laws into their hands as they flagrantly abused the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to meet their whimsical and selfish desires.

Credit: vanguardngr

Name Ex Gov Thieves, Others, In N1.34tr Fraud; Fayose Tasks Lai Mohammed

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Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State has challenged the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to make public names of the 15 former governor and 55 Nigerians that he claimed stole N1.34 trillion between 2006 and 2013 or keep his mouth shut permanently.

The governor, who also described as ‘disgraceful, bringing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh to court in handcuff’, said; “Even the masterminds of Mandala and Nyanya bomb blasts, Kabiru Sokoto and Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche were not handcuffed when they were arraigned in court.”

He continued, “The reality is that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government has destroyed the economy within eight months in power and rather than look for solutions to the problems facing Nigeria, Lai Mohammed and his cohorts are branding bogus figures about stolen money just to cover up their lack of solution to the country’s economic problems.”

The governor’s message was contained in a release issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.

Governor Fayose also said it was funny that close to one year after it won the presidential election, the President Mohammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government was still operating as if it was campaigning for votes.

The governor continued, “They are turning governance to Nollywood, such that when one movie is about to end, they release another one. As it appears that the $2.1 billion arms deal movie is getting to an end, Lai Mohammed introduced another movie titled; N1.34 trillion loot.

“Unfortunately for them this time around, Nigerians have become tired of watching the Federal Government movies, they now want reality. Nigerians are now aware of the scam in the $2.1 billion arms deal movie having seen that the amount those already charged to court were charged with is not more than N10 billion and $2.1 billion is over N600 billion.

“Therefore, Lai Mohammed must either tell Nigerians details of the 15 former governors and 55 people that he claimed stole N1.34 trillion, where the stolen money is kept and bring back the money or apologise to Nigerians for lying.”

Credit: DailyTimes

Ex-Gov. Of Akwa Ibom Quits Partisan Politics, Slams PDP

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 A former governor of Akwa Ibom State and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Victor Attah, has announced his retirement from partisan politics.

Mr. Attah, a member of PDP Board of Trustees, on Tuesday announced at a press conference in Uyo, the state capital, that he would be playing the role of an elder statesman to “continue to serve this country with love, strength, and faith”.

Although it was not expressly stated, it appeared Mr. Attah was quitting the PDP to enable him mobilise support across party lines for the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom whenever there would be a rerun of the governorship election in the state.

The Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Tribunal recently nullified the April 11 governorship election in 18 out of 31 local government areas in the state, and ordered a rerun.

Mr. Attah hailed the judgment as an indication that Akwa Ibom closer to being liberated.

“What I had always wanted is beginning to come into focus,” he said.

Credit: PremiumTimes

Another Ex- Gov. Remanded In EFCC Custody

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that a former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over money laundering charges.

Mr. Ohakim was arrested by the EFCC on Tuesday alongside his colleague, the former Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako and his son, Abdul-aziz. They were arraigned in court on Wednesday.

The judge, Ademola Adeniyi, ordered that Mr. Ohakim remain in the custody of the commission until Thursday for hearing on his bail application.

Mr. Ohakim is accused of making a cash payment to the tune of $2, 290,000.00 (about N270,000,000.00) for the purchase of a property at Plot Number 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as Number 60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro in Abuja.

The amount is above the threshold approved for an individual, going by the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004.

The former governor is also accused of deliberately neglecting to disclose all his assets in the declaration submitted to the EFCC.

One of the three count charges against him read, “That you, Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the January 26, 2013 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, while under arrest for an offence under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004 knowingly failed to make a full disclosure of your assets by not declaring your ownership of the property known and described as Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District- it is also known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(3)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004 and punishable under the same section.”

The former governor pleaded not guilty to all the three charges against him.

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Ex-Gov Sylva Faces Fresh Corruption Charges

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The case involving a former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a fresh 50-count charge bordering on stealing and money laundering, came up for mention Thursday, June 25, 2015 before Justice A. F. Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Mr. Sylva is charged alongside Francis Okokuro, Gbenga Balogun, and Samuel Ogbuku.

They allegedly used three companies – Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited to move over N19.2 billion from Bayelsa State coffers between 2009 and 2012.

Justice A. R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court had on June 10 dismissed the 42-count charge of stealing earlier brought against Sylva and his co-accused by the EFCC, with the excuse that the prosecution’s application to consolidate the charges before him, against the defendants, amounted to an abuse of court process.

The Commission however, faulted the ruling on the grounds that it was premature as the accused persons had not even taken any plea before the court, and subsequently filed the fresh 50 count charge at the Federal High Court.

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Private Nigerian Universities Better Than Public Ones, Says Ex-Gov Akpabio

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Private universities in Nigeria are better than public ones, a former state governor has said.

Godswill Akpabio, who governed oil rich Akwa Ibom State for 8 years, stated this on Sunday at the 13th undergraduate and 14th postgraduate convocation of Babcock University.

The immediate past Akwa Ibom governor was awarded a honourary doctorate degree in Global Economic Development by the university at the event held at the university stadium,Ilishan in Ogun State.

“I want to say here that private universities are better than the other universities and I want to also say that when graduate(s) of privately owned universities present their certificates,they have more opportunities to be considered for employment,” the governor said without providing any evidence for his statement or stating why he could not make the Akwa Ibom State University as good as its private counterparts for the eight years he ruled the state.

Mr. Akpabio also advised the graduating students to be responsible ambassadors of the university especially as their university is owned by a church.

“Ensure you turn out to be good products of the university. Allow God to go with you; in your future allow God to be with you,” he said. “I remain the only governor in Nigeria who drew his people to God. I have the largest choir in the country called Governor Akpabio Unity Choir.”

The former governor listed the achievements of his administration to include a state e-library, road construction and a standard stadium.

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