The business empire of Jite Okoloko, one of the alleged strong allies of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, and a big beneficiary of the nation’s economic patrimony under the sixteen years of the Peoples Democratic Party’s administration that ended in 2015, appears to be heading for difficult times, if the unsavoury news filtering out of Eroton, Midwestern Oil and Gas as well as Notore Chemicals, the three diamonds of the empire, is anything to go by.

Sources disclosed that Notore Chemicals has been battling with operational challenges in the aftermath of its largely undersubscribed attempt to raise fresh working capital from the Stock Exchange last year.

The firm, sources said, has had to review its ambitious expansion and diversification plans it hoped to fund with the expected fresh capital injection that did not materialize. It is also said to be battling with huge cash calls occasioned by its liabilities while several contract and junior non-contract staff are said to have been laid off between December 2018 and end of Q1 2019 due to poor returns.