FG Moves to Seize Globacom Shares
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=56863 Following the crackdown on Globacom Nigeria Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the anti-corruption body may have recommended to the Federal Government the seizure of 36% shares in the telecoms company.
THISDAY checks reveal that the 36% shares in question are made up of 2
4% which the EFCC alleges is owned by former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, through his son, Muhammad and the rest 12.5% is alleged also to be owned by Vice President Atiku Abubakar through a proxy in Enugu.
But both Atiku Abubakar and Babangida have denied ever owning these shares which have been the source of intense investigation and crackdown on Globacom by EFCC.
At the same time, Globacom officials have also vehemently denied that the shares belong to Babangida and Atiku respectively.
According to one Globacom official, “we recently paid dividend on Globacom but nothing was paid to the purported shareholders of either Babangida or Atiku. Dividend payment is a test of shareholding and if we didn’t pay any of them dividend, how can they claim they own shares in Globacom.”
THISDAY gathered at the weekend that the thinking of the EFCC is that since nobody has come up to say he or she owns the shares, then it is only logical and reasonable that the 36% shares be forfeited to the Federal Govern-ment.
This latest move by the commission is coming on the heels of recent close-up on the operations of Globacom.