Jonathan, Dieziani, Obuah implicated in $6.9 million “campaign

"Details of the financial heist committed under former President Goodluck Jonathan is gradually coming to into the open as the probe instituted into the rape of financial resources of Nigeria under his administration by his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari gathers steam."

Documents made available to journalists yesterday (Saturday) by sources at the presidential villa indicated that one of the scandalous spending now engaging the attention of investigators was alleged purchase of three mobile stages, costing $6.9 million in a deal in which the former President, his Chief Security Officer, Gordon Obuah; and former Minister of Petroleum,Diezani Alison-Madueke have been implicated.

The funds, according to sources, was withdrawn from one of the numerous accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC to buy three 40-feet mobile stages for use by the former President during public events.

But preliminary investigations was said to have revealed that the costs of the stages were not just grossly overstated, the funds were diverted into private account of a company owned by Obuah.

Investigators noted for instance that not even big musicians in advanced countries would pay as much as over $2m per stage while process of procurement also did not follow due process as neither the Auditor-General nor the Accountant-General was involved in the entire process.

Documents made available by presidential sources indicated that the suspicious transaction began with a memo by Jonathan’s CSO to the former President on October 17, 2011, asking for the purchase of three mobile stages.

Obuah had in the memo recalled his earlier discussion with the former President on the security implication of his public appearances and his subsequent directive on the need to procure a secured presidential platform.

The investigators discovered that the former President approved the request on the same day, indicating that he did not seek any financial advice or purchase order reviews.

The former President had in the memo asked the then Minister for Petroleum Resources to fund the purchase of the three stages.

Following Jonathan’s memo, documents made available to journalists revealed, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administrative Matters, Matt Aikhionbere, had on the same 17 Oct. wrote another letter requesting the minister to take action on the request to purchase the stages for $6.9m.

NNPC, according to investigators, made the funds available a few weeks after through payment voucher, number 3840336.
The Corporation directed that the funds should be sourced from one of its accounts in New York CITIBANK with sort code CITIUS 33, and Routing number 021000089.

The investigators said they discovered that the funds was first routed from the US bank to an NNPC account in Zenith Bank account number 5000026593, Maitama branch in Abuja, from where the money it was sent to a private account.

The $6.9miilion was promptly paid on Nov. 29, 2011 into a private account belonging to the former CSO.

“The sum of $6.9m was then credited to a Sterling Bank account of one J. Marine Logistics Limited, Abuja, a company the investigators said belonged to Obuah.

The investigators said the CSO has not been able to show proof of the purchase of the stages while his bosses at the SSS also complained that he overreached his power in making the request.

The procedure, as indicated in the investigation documents was that the CSO would have informed the service, which will then review the situation and take the necessary actions.

The investigators added that apart from the clear case of embezzlement, multiple infractions of the law were also committed in the award of the contract by Jonathan.

“The former President approved the procurement of the mobile platforms without due process and bypassing the Procurement Act; neither was there an appropriation in the 2011 budget for such facility,” the document quoted investigators as saying.

The investigators also added that neither the then Minister of Finance nor the Director-General of the Budget Office was aware of the deal.

They also noted the $6.9 million phoney deal is just one of the several instances, in which the Jonathan government used secret NNPC accounts to fund phony projects intended to benefit cronies of the administration.

“Already, the CSO has been questioned over his role and activities in the Jonathan Presidency,” the investigators noted in the document.

Source:PM NEWS

Farmers' Market proposed for Akinale, Ogun State

A farmers' market, to serve as outlet for organic agriculture products in Nigeria, is to be established at Akinale, south of Abeokuta, Ewekoro local government, Ogun State.

The CEO of Africa 2000, a United Kingdom based Charity company and promoter of theproject, Mr. Femi Renner and the Traditional ruler of Akinale, Oba Olufemi Adewunmi Ogunleye, were engaged in preliminary discussions at a London Hotel, penultimate week-end, on the feasibility of the project.

Mr Renner said the proposed market for Akinale would be one of four of its type earmarked for Nigeria under the Africa Industrialization program designed to promote sustainable development and ultimate eradication of poverty in the continent, adding that Akinale's market would be devoted for promotion and exploitation of organic agriculture and food products for local and export outlets.

The Africa Industrialization program, it was further explained, would encourage communities to organise themselves into registered cooperatives to own and run various food manufacturing, processing and packaging units, exploiting the resources locally available to them to produce world class products.

At the meeting which was also attended by associate interests like consultants in community development, agricultural bio-technologists and geo-partial communication specialists, Oba Ogunleye said Akinale is a naturally endowed land for agriculture which has been the traditional vocation of the founders since two centuries ago and that it remains a veritable resource for sustainable organic food production for local and export consumption.

He announced that farmers in Akinale are already in synergy with specialists in organic agriculture to improve their skills towards sustainable organic food production for healthy living and export marketing.

Akinale is 23 kilometer south of Abeokuta with regular power supply from the national grid, pipe-borne water and is about 45 minutes drive from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos .

Besides series of cottage industries like integrated farming scheme, poultries, animal husbandry and food processing, the Ogun state government has established a model secondary school in the locale to enhance educational development of the youth. In addition, a federal government built dam to promote rural water supply and aquatic agriculture as well as a proposed cargo airport are within the corridor of the town.

British accountant asks court to quash $8.8m fraud charge

A British chartered accountant, Deepak Khilnani, last Wednesday asked an Ikeja High Court to quash the $8.8 million fraud charge preferred against him by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Khilnani made the request in a preliminary notice of objection filed by his counsel, Mr Kayode Ajekigbe, before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Khilnani and one  Sushil Chandra are facing a a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cheating, stealing and false representation.

The DPP had charged them for allegedly duping his Nigerian partner, Green Fuels Limited, to the tune of $8.8 million in 2008.

The prosecution alleged that they “fraudulently tricked Green Fuels Limited to pay greater sum for machinery purchased from Gentec Limited than it would have paid for such machinery.”

They were also accused of making false statement to the Corporate Affairs Commission in order to facilitate the fraud. 

The judge had fixed Wednesday for their arraignment following the failure of their counsel to produce them in court on July 31.

However at the resumption of proceedings, the Director of the DPP, Mrs Idowu Alakija told the court of the prosecution's intention to amend the proof of evidence by substitution.

Alakija told the court that the prosecution had also received information from the Police that they had carried out further investigation on the matter which might be useful to the case.

She further confirmed that the preliminary notice of objection was served on the prosecution on Aug.11.

Alakija therefore asked the court for a substantial time to respond to the application, hear from the police and also amend the proof of evidence.

Responding, Ajekigbe said the defence had filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the charge.

He said: "The Information dated April 30 has breached a cardinal rule of drafting charges in that the charges do not contain the essential ingredients of the offences charged.

"The proofs of evidence filed by the prosecution do not disclose the offences alleged against the applicants in counts 2,3 and 4 of the criminal charge.

"The initiation of the Information by the Office of the Attorney-General of Lagos State was done without regard to public interest, interest of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process."  

According to him, the charge constitutes an abuse of the process of the court because it attempts to criminalise a matter bordering on contractual arrangement.

Ajekigbe further argued that the charge was fundamentally defective in the sense that the alleged offences contained therein were charged under a repealed and non-existent law.

On the failure of the accused persons to appear in court, he argued that there was nothing in the judicial law that made it mandatory for them to be in court for the hearing of the application.

Following their submissions, the judge adjourned the matter till Nov.10 for hearing of the application.