On Friday, May 5, 2017, the Department of State Services otherwise known as Nigeria’s secret police because of the nature of their mandate, arrested and detained the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah. It is instructive to note for the benefit of this piece that Dr Ubah has since remained in the DSS custody since then without being charged to court despite the claim of the DSS in its earlier press release declaring that it would prosecute Ubah “forthwith”.
In that release, the DSS had lined up a plethora of allegations against the oil magnate as the reasons behind his travails. Such allegations hastily publicized almost immediately after Ubah was arrested is in tandem with the well-documented script of this current government to try all their victims in the public domain and excite a section of vulnerable Nigerians with it by embarking on media trials, drama and razzmatazz only for their cases to eventually fall flat on their faces where it matters most – at the courts!
It is no longer news that since the end of the 2015 general elections, the ruling party has not forgiven (as if there is anything at all to forgive) Ndigbo for their choice at the elections. The president had not hidden his sentiments about this when he made the infamous 97% vs 5% statement.
Since then, strong and several attempts have been made to humiliate and subjugate the Igbo either as individuals or as a group just to emasculate them and reduce their humanity to calamity! Those who are most hit are the critics of government and or those considered to have supported the last administration at the last election especially if they are of Igbo extraction.
Several cases abound to prove that this is the case. Another one is the Ifeanyi Ubah issue.
How could the DSS be so much in a hurry to accuse Ifeanyi Ubah of all that they accuse him of when in actual fact the issues involved are transactional, contractual and a dispute between two parties to an agreement which also spelt out in very clear terms how to resolve any dispute that might arise from such an agreement? Surely, such resolution mechanisms catered for in the agreement does not include the use of state apparatus like the DSS or any other law enforcement agency to intimidate, harass or detain any of the parties in the case of a dispute.
It is reported that the agreement between Capital Oil and NNPC did in fact make room for the root of this dispute which states that should Capital Oil sell any of the NNPC products in its tank farm, it would pay an extra 1% of the value of the product sold. And to think that Ifeanyi Ubah was ready to go the extra mile of incurring additional losses to his operations just to help salvage a brewing petroleum crisis and its attendant numerous and severe negative effects on not only the country but also the ordinary Nigerian during the transition period speaks volume about his pristine qualities as a businessman. This is in addition to the fact that Capital Oil and Gas claims NNPC is owing it N16bn.
First and foremost, is it not absurd that Nigerians are neither alarmed nor outraged that a government agency is reportedly owing a private enterprise as much as N16bn? How many businesses would survive with such amount owed it? Why is the NNPC so unashamed about its huge debt to Capital Oil? Why is nobody talking about this?
Would any sane society tolerate this level of intolerable business lopsidedness? For how long is it morally right for NNPC to continue to owe Capital Oil without it taking necessary action to recover its money even if it means selling its debtor’s property in its possession especially when the sale was done in national interest and at a loss to Capital Oil as they would be paying the 1% extra value on the volume it sold.
Does this not nullify the allegation of the DSS that Ubah’s actions amounted to economic sabotage when indeed what was done was done in national interest especially now that the Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTDs) have also come out to say that Ubah never incited them to embark on any strike or take any action to curry favour from them?
All these go to show that there is more to it all than meets the eye. If Ubah were of the northern ethnic stock, this case would obviously have been treated differently. While a private sector player like Ubah with staff strength of over 2000 and about 25,000 others indirectly engaged by his company is being harassed by the DSS, Babachir Lawal, a political patron of this administration is enjoying the rare privilege of a presidential investigation after allegedly diverting huge sums meant for IDPs in the north. He is never arrested, detained or prosecuted. One Nigeria indeed!

Firstly it's wrong of a state to detain an individual without charge for so long time but truth be said Ubah is a crook and his cup may have been full here. It kind of amazes me how Igbo cry marginalisation whenever their kinsmen is being punished for a crime. Sunday afolabi is a Yoruba man, a serving minister , arrested 3rd December and detained till 31 December before being granted bail all for ID card scam, he was to later died in hospital and all charges dropped. Tafa balogun another Yoruba was an incumbent I.G of police, arrested and detained, later made plea bargain and went to prison for 6 months for fraud. There are numerous examples. Ubah may be celebrated by his kinsmen here but in the eyes of international community he's a criminal whom they don't even want to step on their soil. He flew his private plane into Uk some years back with boxes of money and gold, they told him he's not welcome in their country, seized all the money, jewellery, all given to the queen and put n back on a plane to Nigeria.

(continued)

Ibrahim Magu, despite the
overwhelming and damning
report against him by this same
DSS and his rejection by the
Nigerian Senate, is still parading
himself as Acting Chairman of EFCC. He, of course, is from the
north!

Fulani herdsmen terrorists are
also roaming the streets freely
with pride in their continued
killing of thousands of Nigerians
across the nation, displacing
families and destroying livelihoods in unquantifiable
terms far more than what Ubah is
purportedly owing NNPC, yet,
they are neither harassed,
arrested, detained nor
prosecuted.

This same government makes all
sorts of excuses for them
including compensating them
after their killings, yet, it is
Ifeanyi Ubah who creates
livelihoods for people that is suffering over a trade dispute
simply because he is Igbo, a tribe
that must be conquered by all
means!

The other time, they shut down
Ibeto cement factory for no just
cause only for them to reopen it
without any criminal liability on
the part of the company. Of
course, the ravenous monopolist from the north has to be helped
to have his competitors from the
south east killed. Now, they are
going after the likes of Emeka
Offor, Innoson etc as if it is only
Igbo people that are doing business in Nigeria.

While other businessmen from
other parts of the country enjoy
undue advantage over their Igbo
counterparts by being given
generous waivers, tax rebates,
government patronage etc, the Igbo businessmen suffer factory
shut down, harassment,
intimidation, arrest, detention
and persecution, demolition,
wares seizures, multiple taxation
etc.

Of course, he must be run out of
business by all means!

Even in the railway project for
which the government intends
borrowing a humongous $5.8bn
from the China Exim Bank, an
amount to be repaid by all
regions of the country, only south east was deliberately left
out among those to benefit from
the loan, still in continuation of
the ethnic agenda against the
people.

Most unfortunately, this whole
Capital Oil saga is leaving the
otherwise esteemed DSS
demystified, reduced to Boys’
Brigade who beat their drum for
every Shehu, Abdul and Musa that call them into a dispute even
if it is between two cows.

With the way the DSS are going,
very soon, they will soon start
being called by couples to arrest
and detain their partners over
marital disagreements. It would
soon get to that since they now seem very comfortable acting as
Debt Recovery Agency rather
than as an Intelligence Agency.

Dr Ifeanyi Ubah should be
released immediately and NNPC
should come forward to reconcile
accounts with Capital Oil and Gas.
You cannot be indebted to a man
to the tune of N16bn but keep harassing him over your
N11bn. This is outside the N26bn
which a Federal High court in
Abuja, had ordered the Asset
Management Corporation of
Nigeria (AMCON) to pay Capital Oil and Gas as contained in a consent
judgement delivered years ago
but yet to be complied with.

From the foregoing, it is obvious
that there is a deliberate attempt
to cripple Ifeanyi Ubah, decimate
his businesses and cremate the
general interests of Ndigbo. This
has got to stop or the nation continues on the irreversible
regressive journey of self-
implosion!

www.vanguardngr.com/2017/05/ifeanyi-ubah-government-cremation-igbo-interests/

It is finished.

DSS must release Ifeanyi Ubah.

North everly afraid of Ndigbo, using every machinery at its disposal to emasculate their existence but Like Israel, Ndigbo remains insurmountable

DSS have been arresting people from all part of the country without any intimidation, now an igbo man is arrested the cloud is about to fall.
Both ohaneze ndigbo and others have lined up to push for his release without trial.
God is watching.

Him thief fuel sell? Yes or No?

Did he get the go ahead of NNPC before selling their product if there was any swap deal?

Was there any signed document stating he can go ahead and sell their product to offset the "acclaimed" debt?

Always do the right thing at the right time, it pays a lot. Crying the victim is bunkum to me, he's not the only one been owed in this country...teachers are been owed and they have dependents to cater for, does that mandate them to start selling government properties?

We should learn to condemn what is bad and give it the right name. Today an internet fraudster is called a "yahoo boy" instead of a thief, a prostitute or a LovePeddler is call a "runs" girl to give a good name. It ain't taking us nowhere.

If you do the crime, do the time...

This is why people will never take us serious ...we as a tribe is defending a criminal like uba ??

Same us supported emeka offor against bath nnaji and we say we want to male progress

Igbo's are the most intelligent Nigerians and also the easiest to manipulate ..we used to abuse Hausa's as cows cos they follow without thinking ..now we are doing worst

The man should face his problem alone jor

ifeanyi uba is a nigerian.Most of d ppl arrested,detained,in court since 2015 are northerners yet u dnt see dem open threads to talk trash.
ifeanyi uba that was rumored to be a secret witness against nnamdi kanu is now a messiah simply becos some ppl want to score some tribal sentiments points.
btw,he is an APC member.
igbos, let us learn to respect ourselves before others respect us.

Okoroawusa:
ifeanyi uba is a nigerian.Most of d ppl arrested,detained,in court since 2015 are northerners yet u dnt see dem open threads to talk trash.
ifeanyi uba that was rumored to be a secret witness against nnamdi kanu is now a messiah simply becos some ppl want to score some tribal sentiments points.
btw,he is an APC member.
igbos, let us learn to respect ourselves before others respect us.

your arguments holds no water. the problem here is that the DSS is not supposed to meddle in this matter in the first place! they have an agreement in case this kind of issue arise, simply pay extra 1%, shouldn't he be compelled to pay the extra 1% instead of locking him up? who is going to lock the government up for owning uba 16bn ? we shouldn't tackle issues to please other Nigerians meanwhile neglecting the factual truth!

igbozionism:


your arguments holds no water. the problem here is that the DSS is not supposed to meddle in this matter in the first place! they have an agreement in case this kind of issue arise, simply pay extra 1%, shouldn't he be compelled to pay the extra 1% instead of locking him up? who is going to lock the government up for owning uba 16bn ? we shouldn't tackle issues to please other Nigerians meanwhile neglecting the factual truth!

now u r beginning to raise issues...I like that.now go thru other comments on ds thread.are there as open and intellectual n devoid of tribal attack as urs?
that is my point.thank u.

igbozionism:


your arguments holds no water. the problem here is that the DSS is not supposed to meddle in this matter in the first place! they have an agreement in case this kind of issue arise, simply pay extra 1%, shouldn't he be compelled to pay the extra 1% instead of locking him up? who is going to lock the government up for owning uba 16bn ? we shouldn't tackle issues to please other Nigerians meanwhile neglecting the factual truth!

now u r raising issues.I like that.now go through other comments on ds thread n see if they r as open,intellectual n devoid of tribal backlash as urs?
that is my point as an igboman.thank you.

Thank to nigeria senate president and other senators who order DSS to investigate nnpc and those oil company involve.

when DSS force MRS to pay 62billion naira last month, despite been a hausa man,nobody complain. ifeanyi uba should save himself from this scandal. if nnpc is owning uba he should sue them.