Police Indict Capital Oil, Ubah for Subsidy Fraud

Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah

Davidson Iriekpen

An interim investigative police report on the involvement of Capital Oil and Gas Limited in the fuel subsidy scheme has established that the company and its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah, and four of the company’s staff, colluded with others to defraud the Federal Government of Nigeria of billions of naira.

The four indicted staff of Capital Oil are its Executive Director, Operations, Mr. Orji Joseph; General Manager, Operations, Mr. Ogbuokiri Chibuzor; Depot Manager, Mr. Okorie Onuabuchi; and Head of Training, Mr. Nsikan Usoro.

The report, which was obtained exclusively by THISDAY, was written and signed by the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Ikoyi, Lagos, Mr. Ayotunde Ogunsakin, on November 5, 2012, and addressed to the Chairman, Presidential Committee on the Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payments, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.

It showed that Capital Oil was involved in 26 transactions covering the importation of 538,740,000,000 litres of petrol and was paid N43.291 billion as subsidy claims in 2011.

The report detailed the arrest and interrogation of Ubah and four others by the SFU between September and October, during which it was discovered that the alleged irregular claims were made based on fraudulent fabrication and forged documents in which about N43.291 billion was paid to Capital Oil as subsidy claims.

The report noted the irregularities were in the form of alterations, wrong reference numbers and duplication of vessels, coupled with cargo quantity inflation.

It was the purported suspicious nature of the transactions and claims noted by the presidential committee’s auditors that compelled the committee to request the police for a thorough investigation into the activities of Capital Oil and Ubah.

According to the report, “Import duty certifications, bill of ladings, Letters of Credits (LCs)/Form Ms and other documents were perfected with the active connivance of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), bank officials, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and other port authorities clearing agencies.

“These fraudulent practices were formatted from the point of ship to ship transactions involving mother vessel and daughter vessel documentations, cargo quantity inflation and other underhand practices perfected to undermine transparency in the petroleum subsidy payment process.”

The police, in the report, alleged that Capital Oil, its management and proxies, forged documents, made fraudulent representations, obtained under false pretence, and stole Federal Government money by claiming monies paid on the transactions.

The report showed that Ubah was invited on September 9 and interrogated on the queries and inconsistencies reported in the complaint by the presidential committee against Capital Oil.

It indicated that the list of existing and noted infractions compiled by the auditors was used by the police as their guide for interrogation.
It went further to allege that the “response of the suspect (Ubah) confirmed the concern of the presidential committee and investigation team,” adding that it was on this note that it became necessary to detain the suspect for further interrogation.

“An affidavit was sworn to request the Lagos State judiciary to grant an order for the remand of the suspects. This order was granted by the Magistrates Court 5, Tinubu, Lagos, on October 11, 2012,” the report said.

During interrogation, Ubah was purported to have stated that Capital Oil was incorporated in 2009 and commenced operations in 2010.
“He stated further that the company commenced full activity in subsidy scheme in 2011 and that Oil Force Limited, is a sister company of Capital Oil and Gas.

“He confirmed that the two companies trade on the approval of DPR and maintain different assets. He averred that the operational/transactional difficulties necessitated the formation and use of Oil Force to format transactions.

“This was due to the heavy indebtedness of Capital Oil and Gas to the banks and that the decision was taken to gain customer confidence.

“He insisted that Access Bank Plc financed the infrastructural development of the two companies and 70 per cent of the their import transactions are done through Access Bank,” the report stated.

Ubah was also said to have insisted that it was the duty of the DPR to check quality and the quantity of cargo, maintaining that Capital Oil used open credit facilities in all the transactions.

He informed the police that the firm always notified NPA, DPR, PPPRA and other authorities to witness the discharge and facilitate

port/harbour reception and storage at the tank farm, and the details of these transactions were submitted to the presidential committee.
Irrespective of its findings, the police concluded that to establish a prima facie case against the suspects, it would be necessary to obtain details of all the transactions from the Federal Ministry of Finance from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to obtain the financial instruments, as the original documents that were forged would be needed to establish forgery.

The police added that all the documents, including certified copies of the financial instruments from Access Bank, LCs and bills of lading covering the petrol cargoes brought in by Capital Oil, would be needed to consolidate their proof of evidence.

“At the conclusion of these ongoing actions, a consolidated report will be submitted on a prima facie case of conspiracy to commit felony, money laundering, forgery, stealing, obtaining by false pretence and economic sabotage against Capital Oil and Gas, Ifeanyi Ubah and those found to has conspired, colluded, or aided the culprits,” the police informed the presidential committee’s chairman.
ThisDay

Bayelsa crash: Pilot’s family accuses FG of partiality

 by Kunle Falayi

Late co-pilot, Lt. Adeyemi and his family members.
| credits:

The  family  of Lt. Adeyemi Sowole, the co-pilot of the Navy helicopter which crashed on Saturday in Bayelsa State have expressed disappointment that authorities have only reckoned with the dignitaries that died on the flight.

The co-pilot’s elder brother, Taiwo, said the government had not treated other victims as important as the two dignitaries – Gen. Andrew Azazi and Governor Patrick Yakowa – on board.

Taiwo, spoke with our correspondent on Tuesday, at the family’s 28, Akintoye Street, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos home.

The ambience was sombre, as relations and friends sat around Adeyemi’s father, Solomon, in the family’s sitting room.

Words were few. But some of the sympathisers intermittently offered prayers to break the silence.

The deceased’s brother said, “All lives are equal.  At this point, the right thing to do is for government to treat all the victims with respect and give them the same recognition.

“But it seems as if only the dignitaries on board the helicopter died. Adeyemi is also important.

“Adeyemi and a senior colleague lost their lives also. They are equally precious to their families. It was their responsibility to transport the dignitaries even though their own lives were on the line.”

Another family member, an aunt of the deceased, broke down in tears. She expressed sadness that while the news about the crash was circulating, authorities only focused on Yakowa and Azazi.

 “It’s like the people in government see our son and his colleague as unimportant. Is it only Azazi and Yakowa that died in that crash? Why can’t they sympathise with us as well? The incident happened and all they were talking about were the two government officials on board,” the aunt, who declined to give her name, stated.

Taiwo described his brother as a humble man, who loved his job since he was young.

 He said he never believed his brother would die doing what he loved best: flying.

Adeyemi was the fifth child of his parents’ seven children.

Taiwo said, “We called him ‘Yemi Olopa (policeman)’ because he always behaved like one. But when he got into the Nigerian Defence Academy, it was a dream come true for him.

“He loved what he did so much that he never expressed fear at any point in time about the nature of the job.”

Adeyemi graduated from the NDA in 2005 having studied Geography and trained as a pilot.

Taiwo said the last time he spoke with his brother was about 10 days before the crash.

Adeyemi, according to him, was very concerned about their father’s coming 80th birthday, which the family had scheduled for celebration in March 2013.

“Adeyemi insisted we should start planning for the birthday now.  We discussed a lot of things, the hall to be used, the expenses and many other things. He said we would discuss it more when he comes home for Christmas,” Taiwo said.

Taiwo got the news about his brother’s death at 8pm on Saturday through one of his brothers.

“All we heard initially was that his helicopter crashed and we were praying at the time that it will turn out to be a hoax. We were hoping it would be a mistake because we thought Navy pilots only fly military personnel or the President and Vice-President,” he said.

Two of Adeyemi’s other siblings –  Owolabi and Aderonke – have not come to terms with the fact that their brother was dead.

Owolabi explained that the last time Adeyemi called him, it was also to discuss their father’s coming birthday celebration.

He became suspicious when a friend of the deceased, who is close to the family, called him to request for his parents’ number.

“He called but did not say anything. He called my dad and mum and said he only wanted to find out how they were doing. He eventually called me again to break the news. I can’t believe I’m not going to see my brother again,” he said.

Aderonke, who was her brother’s “pet,” broke down in tears as she described the last time she  spoke with him.

She said, “Anytime he was coming home, I would ask what he wanted to eat and he would say ‘you should know because you are my mum.’

“Few days before the incident, I asked if he was coming home for Christmas and he jokingly said ‘no’. I told him he dared not. He said he would come and I was looking forward to seeing him. I still wish all this noise about his death is just a rumour.”

 ThePunch

Edo PDP In Search Of New Identity

 PATRICK OCHOGA

Concerned stakeholders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), comprising mainly youths from Edo South senatorial district of the State are presently plotting to take over the machinery of the party from those they perceive to have worked against the interest of the party prior to and during the July 14, 2012 governorship election. PATRICK OCHOGA writes on the move that is capable of igniting  schism in the state’s PDP.
The People’s Democratic Party ( PDP), in Edo State is charting a new direction after its painful loss to the Action Congress of Nigeria (A C N). The new course insiders posit, is aimed at redeeming the party’s image and recouping some lost grounds that caved in after its woeful outing in the last election. They are doing this on the aegis of ‘Concerned stakeholders’, a group that draws its base from some youths comprising professionals. They also signalled their readiness to ‘retire persons described as “old leaders” in Edo South senatorial district.
Obviously still sulking from the misfortune that befell the party members from the zone, the group at a recent meeting in Benin, expressed strong commitment to free the party from the grip of old leaders in the senatorial district whom they alleged have continued to foist their self-serving agenda that have for years not only continued to bring the people to the crossroads, but also relegated the youths to the background.
Speaker after speaker at the event condemned the domineering posture of those who had before now presided over the affairs of the party, whose ages according to them, fall between 65 and 80 years and have in the process, left the people with a total disconnect from the positive developments and capacity building expected to come to the area which has the highest population in the state
The latest move of the PDP may not also be unconnected with an attempt at setting a new agenda for membership drive in order to reclaim the state from the hold of the ruling ACN government, particularly as the local government election draws near in the state. It also targets strengthening the existing ties between members of the elected state executive and inject new blood into the structure of the party.
Since it lost the governorship election to ACN , the battle for control of Edo State chapter of the party has continued to rage. This has followed calls by certain stakeholders for the removal of the Orbih-led executive over the allegation that he worked for the party’s loss at the July polls.
The last has not been heard concerning the lingering crisis in the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), being the ruling party at the national level since the commencement of democracy. The PDP in the state has refused to demonstrate the same cohesion that has characterized the party at the national level.
LEADERSHIP can authoritatively report that the current crisis stems from the same quarrel pattern that has always rocked the party; that is who controls the party structure in the state as a build-up to the February 2013 scheduled local government elections, state and national assembly elections in 2015 as well as 2016 governorship poll.
In order to avoid being caught napping, the two gladiators in the struggle, Chief Tony Anenih and Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia are said to have begun oiling their political machines just to gain the upper hand when the bell begins to toll.
One of the strategies was the call for the removal of the Chief Dan Orbih-led state executive of the party just after the July 14, 2012 governorship election.
According to those clamouring for Orbih’s removal they are supposedly loyalists of Ogbemudia and former Chief of General Staff, Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe. They allege that the party executive was responsible for the dismal failure of their candidate and therefore is not morally justified to remain in office.
But the argument seems to have failed and as a result, the Ogbemudia group adopted another approach, which includes exhuming the corpse of  the 2008 crisis that cost the party the governorship election following the declaration of Adams Oshiomhole as the duly elected governor of Edo State by the Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, Benin City. That 2008 crisis started when the party held two parallel state congresses.
At that time, the Ogbemudia group held their congress at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium and was lucky to be inaugurated by representatives of the PDP national, which observers interpreted to mean tacit recognition by the National Working Committee (NWC). On the other hand, the Anenih faction held theirs at the Benin NTA pavilion, but was unfortunate as no member of the NWC attended the congress.
But Anenih was to have his way as then Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Ambassador Babagana Gingibe, facilitated a phony peace meeting with the aim of power sharing among the warring factions.
Confussion marred the process, especially when the meeting saw the then PDP former national chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor constituting a committee to work out modalities for power sharing arrangement between the two rival groups. In the end, a committee headed by the PDP Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Haruna, ceded the state chairmanship of the party to the Anenih faction, while the Ogbemudia group got the state deputy and the state secretary.
Other positions for the Anenih group were Treasurer, Publicity Secretary, Financial Secretary, Woman Leader, State Vive-Chairman [South], State Vice-Chairman [North], one assistant Secretary, Assistant publicity Secretary, and two elected members of which one shall be a woman.
While the Ogbemudia faction got State Organizing Secretary, Youth Leader, State Auditor, State Legal Adviser, State Vice-Chairman [Central], two Assistant Secretaries [South and North], State Assistant Financial Secretary, one Organizing Secretary, Assistant Legal Adviser and two elected members of which one shall be a woman. The two groups were to produce nine local government party chairmen each. However, the Ogbemudia group rejected the sharing formula, saying it is unacceptable to them.
As expected, Anenih declared that his group has accepted the decision of the party’s NWC.  In his words, “the decision of the National Working Committee of our great party, the PDP, under the leadership of Ogbulafor, was communicated to me. While I have one or two reservations, I have decided to accept the decision of the party as a loyal and committed party member and as one of the leaders of the party.”
Under that arrangement, the Dan Orbih and Edward Sado-led factional state executives down to its local government executives were dissolved and a new unified executive enthroned with Chief Ekhabafe as its chairman. Not satisfied, Sado headed for the courts, claiming that his executive was duly elected as provided in the party’s constitution. He argued that the PDP national secretariat had no right to dissolve an executive that was duly recognized and inaugurated.
Orbih was to come on board as a replacement to Ekhabafe who died within the period. He emerged as the consensus chairman. Consequently, he stayed in the position to prosecute the 2011 elections in the state. He is still the state chairman of the party, but may be facing some heat occasioned by the discontent within the party as a precursor.
However, crisis has erupted with a letter to the PDP national chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, on October 23, 2012  by the duo of  Dr. Francis Omo-Osunde Iyasere and Solomon Ebuwa on behalf of the Edo PDP stakeholders. The two who were one-time Publicity Secretary and ex-officio member of the party respectively, were said to be political associates of Ogbemudia complained in that petition that the present executive led by Orbih were handpicked by Chief Anenih without the input of other stakeholders.
They opined that the outcome of all the elections conducted so far in Edo State under the Orbih-led executive  have ended in failure, a point they said were raised and described  by Ogbemudia as worrisome.  Orbih has however dismissed the petition saying he will not dignify it with any response.
Nonetheless, observers believe that the warring factions should rather sheathe their swords in order to avoid a repetition of the war of attrition which landed them a painful defeat in the 2007, 2011 and 2012 elections in the state.
According to them, for PDP to make remarkable impact in any future election, there is need for peace and tranquillity to reign.
A chieftain of the party, Chris Nehikhare, said the stakeholders who want to turn things around in the Edo PDP, want a total departure from the old order saying, “we are made of professionals, intellectuals and men with ideas and these are people who under normal circumstances, leadership should be thrust upon them”.
He added that, “there is a total disconnect between the people and there is therefore the need for the older generation to give way for the younger generation. We have in Edo south, people who have been doing things over and over again and we are saying they should step aside so that the younger generation should take responsibility.”
“We are going to create a new face for the party because the same faces have been appearing in the party and they have been giving the party wrong name.  We are strong and lettered professionals;   we cannot fold our arms and allow the party to die. Time will come when the future generation will ask us what we have done. We want to take our destiny in our hands”.
Nehikhare added that, “we are not asking the elders to go but they should delegate responsibility to the younger generation”, adding that, “everybody should fall in line with the party structure. The idea that when election ends the people should scatter is over. We want to democratize our party and any structure that is recognized by our party, we all will fall in line.”
Also, the former chair of Edo State oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOGPADEC), Mr. Larry Ogieva, stated that the PDP has learnt from the past mistakes and therefore the group would not allow a repeat of what led to the crisis that rocked members of the fold in the past years.
Ogieva harped on the essence of members of the PDP in the senatorial district and the state to rally round the state executive and warned that the era of godfathers and impositions of people was over. He said the, ‘’the mistakes made by our past leaders and followers will not be repeated. We are ready to establish democracy, those who were the architects and masters of this wrong picture being painted about PDP are now either in ACN or ANPP; there are still a few of them still remaining in PDP. We consider ourselves among those who have not been tainted. Therefore, look at the faces now that we’re presenting those who would mount the leadership of the party.”
Also speaking, Messrs Elvis Omoregie and Samuel Osazuwa, maintained that members of the body have apart from creation of awareness, also made conscious efforts across the three senatorial districts to mobilize people to join the campaign and clamour for positive change in the leadership of the party in the state.
The group pledged support for the PDP candidate in the last election, retired General Charles Airhiavbere and urged him to pursue the petition he filed at the state Election Petitions tribunal challenging the election of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to its logical end.
It is expected that a new Edo PDP will be one that can close ranks and work to reposition the party ahead of the local government election and that may probably explain why the party faithfuls are angling to control the soul of the party in the state.
 Leadership

FIFA Bans Bin Hammam For Life

The world football governing body, FIFA has banned embattled former FIFA presidential candidate, Mohamed bin Hammam from all football related activities for life, despite tendering his resignations from all his positions in football.

FIFA in a statement said the life ban is based on the final report by the chairman of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA ethics committee Michael Garcia.
The 63-year-old former Asian soccer chief was first banned by FIFA in July 2011 for alleged bribery during his failed bid to oust Sepp Blatter in the presidential race to head world football governing body.
In July, the life ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport but the Qatari has remained side-lined by continuous suspensions handed out first by the Asian football confederation for financial wrongdoing and then FIFA.
InformationNigeria

Hot or not? Annie Idibia goes from sweet to naughty girl in new magazine (PHOTOS)

by Rachel Ogbu

Annie Idibia is definitely making a name for herself and fast dropping the ‘2Face’s chosen one’ tag.
She recently covered lifestyle publication Glam and Essence magazine and inside, she spoke about her youth, her relationship with 2face, and her sense of style.
“You know my husband is the finest man alive. I have to always look good,” she said in the interview.















































 YNaija.com

Revealed: Former Mr. Nigeria, Kenneth Okolie was kidnapped with Nkiru Sylvanus

We all heard that actress Nkiru Sylvanus was kidnapped late Saturday night December 15th, what we didn’t hear until now was that 2010 Mr Nigeria Kenneth Okolie was with her when she was kidnapped. His friends just contacted me with the info.
Kenneth, Nkiru and another yet to be identified passenger left a movie location in Owerri late Saturday night and were heading to another location when gunmen blocked Nkiru’s car between Concorde Hotel and Cathedral Road in Owerri, and took all three passengers in the car.
Kenneth left Lagos two weeks ago to feature in the movie and was due back home sometime this week. The kidnappers are yet to make contact with Kenneth’s family. Truly sad what is going on in our country.
 DailyPost

Uncertainty Mounts Over Nomination Of Yakowa’s Widow As New Kaduna Deputy Governor

The possible nomination of the widow of the late governor of Kaduna State, Mrs. Amina Yakowa as the new deputy governor of the state suffered a setback on Monday as geopolitical permutations and political horse trading take preeminence.

Sambo, Yakowa, Yero

The office became vacant following the inauguration of the erstwhile holder of the office, Mukthar Yero as the new governor of the state.
Mrs. Amina Yakowa was top on the list of those under consideration until some political stakeholders from Southern Kaduna, who allege that a woman cannot have the strength of will to stand up to the political intrigues that shadows politics in the State, raised up in opposition – and some of these opposition come from political hawks in Southern Kaduna who believe that she would not be able to stand up to represent the interest of the Southern Kaduna people in government.
Ambassador Nuhu Bajoga (the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP), Mr. Jonathan Asake (a former member of the House of Representatives), Mr. Mark Jacob (a director in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN) and the chairman of Jema‘a Local Government Area, Mr. Dan Amos are some of the names been touted for the position.
InformationNigeria