In line with president Muhammadu Buhari's
anti-corruption campaign, the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission has secretly
frozen the bank accounts of former President
Goodluck Jonathan’s associates.
According to PUNCH, the move by the anti-
graft agency was aimed at scuttling the
transfer of the alleged looted funds from the
accounts for other reasons.
A member of a key transition committee of
the All Progressives Congress, who spoke to
one of our correspondents on condition of
anonymity, on Friday, said the need had
become necessary in view of the magnitude
of the alleged theft of public resources by
the affected persons.
The affected accounts, SUNDAY PUNCH
learnt, belonged to Keketobou Foundation,
owned by former Special Adviser to Jonathan
on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the
Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, and
Mieka Divers Limited as well as Global West
Vessels Limited reportedly owned by ex-
Niger Delta warlord, Mr. Government
Ekpompolo, aka Tompolo.
Further investigations by our correspondents
also showed that one of Jonathan’s close
allies, Mr. Kime Engozi’s accounts had also
been flagged.
Engozi is the contractor handling the N30bn
Maritime University contract at Okerenkoko
in the Gbaramatu area of Delta State.
Besides, funds already approved for the
commencement of the university are said to
have remained frozen in a Yenagoa branch
of the United Bank for Africa Plc.
The NIMASA Technical College at Okoloba,
also in Delta State, is also said to be facing
an uncertain future as there are fears that
the institution might be scrapped.
Accounts linked to the former Director
General of NIMASA, Dr. Patrick
Akpobolokemi, are also said to have been
frozen by the EFCC.
The source, who is now in the Presidency,
said although he could not confirm if
Jonathan’s recent meeting with Buhari
discussed the issue, the action to ‘flag’ the
said accounts might have been for security
reasons.
The source also said the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party was ignorant of the
workings of the Federal Government,
especially on security.
The source added, “This is not a
matter of lobby or any politics that
should be shoved aside; what is at
stake is the nation’s security and
nothing more.
“When the PDP says the current anti-
corruption drive is selective, we
continue to laugh at them because
they do not seem to know what is at
stake at all. If only they know, all the
noise they have been making won’t be
made at all.
“How many of these PDP elements
know that just one individual
benefitted from a single NIMASA
transaction to the tune of N13bn, not
to talk of about $57m he was said to
have benefitted from controversial
contract deals?
“Are these the things they ask us to
sweep under the carpet? Certainly, we
cannot because apart from the angle
of the impunity and financial
recklessness, does it make any sense if
any responsible government allows
such individuals, who had threatened
war in the event that Jonathan did not
win to have such huge sums in bank
vaults? Such accounts must be flagged,
of course.”
However, the PDP has asked President
Buhari to follow the rule of law in his
government’s determination to fight
corruption.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP,
Mr. Olisa Metuh, in an interview with one of
our correspondents on Saturday night, asked
the President not to spare anyone, including
his friends and members of the ruling APC
in the crusade.
Metuh said, “We are not against the
war against corruption, but what we
are saying is that the President must
follow the rule of law.
“The law says every accused person is
innocent until proven otherwise.
Then, the President must also look at
his party; he shouldn’t spare his
friends.
“If any of our members is found to be
corrupt, let them face the law of the
land. But no one should be tagged as
being corrupt when the court has not
said so.”
Tompolo is not under any investigations by
the EFCC, but Kuku has a date to keep with
the anti-graft agency in September, having
gone for a knee surgery in the United States
of America in July, while the former NIMASA
boss has been under investigation for over
month.
However, Akpobolokemi’s interaction with
the EFCC has been linked to business deals
by him while he held sway at NIMASA and
the ex-warlord.
SUNDAY PUNCH also learnt that EFCC’s
seizure of Akpobolokemi’s international
passport and a N38m worth bullet-proof
Toyota Landcruiser was already heightening
speculations that he might be prosecuted if
findings by the investigators indict him.
At least three close aides and confidants of
the ex-NIMASA boss, including the current
Executive Director in charge of Maritime
Safety and Shipping Development, Mr.
Ezekiel Bala Agaba, have been guests of the
EFCC in the last ten days.
anti-corruption campaign, the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission has secretly
frozen the bank accounts of former President
Goodluck Jonathan’s associates.
According to PUNCH, the move by the anti-
graft agency was aimed at scuttling the
transfer of the alleged looted funds from the
accounts for other reasons.
A member of a key transition committee of
the All Progressives Congress, who spoke to
one of our correspondents on condition of
anonymity, on Friday, said the need had
become necessary in view of the magnitude
of the alleged theft of public resources by
the affected persons.
The affected accounts, SUNDAY PUNCH
learnt, belonged to Keketobou Foundation,
owned by former Special Adviser to Jonathan
on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the
Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, and
Mieka Divers Limited as well as Global West
Vessels Limited reportedly owned by ex-
Niger Delta warlord, Mr. Government
Ekpompolo, aka Tompolo.
Further investigations by our correspondents
also showed that one of Jonathan’s close
allies, Mr. Kime Engozi’s accounts had also
been flagged.
Engozi is the contractor handling the N30bn
Maritime University contract at Okerenkoko
in the Gbaramatu area of Delta State.
Besides, funds already approved for the
commencement of the university are said to
have remained frozen in a Yenagoa branch
of the United Bank for Africa Plc.
The NIMASA Technical College at Okoloba,
also in Delta State, is also said to be facing
an uncertain future as there are fears that
the institution might be scrapped.
Accounts linked to the former Director
General of NIMASA, Dr. Patrick
Akpobolokemi, are also said to have been
frozen by the EFCC.
The source, who is now in the Presidency,
said although he could not confirm if
Jonathan’s recent meeting with Buhari
discussed the issue, the action to ‘flag’ the
said accounts might have been for security
reasons.
The source also said the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party was ignorant of the
workings of the Federal Government,
especially on security.
The source added, “This is not a
matter of lobby or any politics that
should be shoved aside; what is at
stake is the nation’s security and
nothing more.
“When the PDP says the current anti-
corruption drive is selective, we
continue to laugh at them because
they do not seem to know what is at
stake at all. If only they know, all the
noise they have been making won’t be
made at all.
“How many of these PDP elements
know that just one individual
benefitted from a single NIMASA
transaction to the tune of N13bn, not
to talk of about $57m he was said to
have benefitted from controversial
contract deals?
“Are these the things they ask us to
sweep under the carpet? Certainly, we
cannot because apart from the angle
of the impunity and financial
recklessness, does it make any sense if
any responsible government allows
such individuals, who had threatened
war in the event that Jonathan did not
win to have such huge sums in bank
vaults? Such accounts must be flagged,
of course.”
However, the PDP has asked President
Buhari to follow the rule of law in his
government’s determination to fight
corruption.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP,
Mr. Olisa Metuh, in an interview with one of
our correspondents on Saturday night, asked
the President not to spare anyone, including
his friends and members of the ruling APC
in the crusade.
Metuh said, “We are not against the
war against corruption, but what we
are saying is that the President must
follow the rule of law.
“The law says every accused person is
innocent until proven otherwise.
Then, the President must also look at
his party; he shouldn’t spare his
friends.
“If any of our members is found to be
corrupt, let them face the law of the
land. But no one should be tagged as
being corrupt when the court has not
said so.”
Tompolo is not under any investigations by
the EFCC, but Kuku has a date to keep with
the anti-graft agency in September, having
gone for a knee surgery in the United States
of America in July, while the former NIMASA
boss has been under investigation for over
month.
However, Akpobolokemi’s interaction with
the EFCC has been linked to business deals
by him while he held sway at NIMASA and
the ex-warlord.
SUNDAY PUNCH also learnt that EFCC’s
seizure of Akpobolokemi’s international
passport and a N38m worth bullet-proof
Toyota Landcruiser was already heightening
speculations that he might be prosecuted if
findings by the investigators indict him.
At least three close aides and confidants of
the ex-NIMASA boss, including the current
Executive Director in charge of Maritime
Safety and Shipping Development, Mr.
Ezekiel Bala Agaba, have been guests of the
EFCC in the last ten days.
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