* I’ve No Hand In Your Incarceration, Osinbajo Tells Bode George

Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday denied playing any role in the incarceration of Chief Olabode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole on October 26, 2009, sentenced Bode George, the chairman and five other former board members of NPA, namely the Managing Director, Architect Aminu Dabo, Captain Olusegun Abidoye, Alhaji Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, Alhaji Zanna Maidaribe, and Engineer Sule Aliyu to two years each on a seven-count charge.

However, reprieve came the way of George in 2013 when the Supreme Court voided the two-year jail term, saying he was tried under a law that did not exist at the time he served as board member.

George, in an interview with Daily Independent, said Osinbajo who was the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice during Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos State, connived with his then principal to draft the unknown law that was used against him.

According to George, “I don’t want to look at Osinbajo with what he has done as he was growing. I was a victim of what he did. He and his grandmaster (Tinubu) sat down and crafted a law that was specifically used for Bode George so that they could take me down.

“My path and Osinbajo’s path has never crossed except one day we sat together in the aircraft before he became vice president and I told him my mind concerning what he did to me.

“I told him he needs to go for restitution, go before the altar and ask for forgiveness. He couldn’t utter a word. No comment.”

However, in a statement by Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, titled ‘Re: Despite what Osinbajo did to me, I won’t join those Plotting his Downfall – Bode George’, Osinbajo said he was baffled by Bode George’s statement, saying he had no knowledge about his trial as he had left office by the time Bode George was charged to court.

He argued that George was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (PDP) under the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), which was the ruling party then.

“Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is completely baffled by a statement credited to Chief Olabode George, a former deputy national chairman of the PDP, to the effect that he had forgiven the VP for his alleged role in his (Chief George) incarceration for alleged contract splitting during his tenure as chairman of the Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA,” the statement noted.

According to the vice president, “I honestly hope that this is fake news and the product of some mischief as the entire story is a complete fabrication.” He continued: “However, it is now important to set the records straight as follows, in rebuttal of this amazing falsehood!

“Chief Olabode George’s trial commenced in August 2008, a year after Prof. Osinbajo left as Attorney-General of Lagos State (he served as Attorney General from 1999 to 2007), Chief George was convicted by the High Court in 2009.

“Chief Olabode George was charged to court by the EFCC, a Federal Government agency, not the Ministry of Justice, Lagos State. “Chief George’s party, the PDP, was in office at the centre in Abuja at the time.
“Chief Olabode George was charged under sections 104 and 203 of the Criminal Code. “The code has been in force since 1914! Indeed both provisions have been in the code since then.Every state in the South of Nigeria cites it as its own law.

“Prof. Osinbajo clearly could not, therefore, as Chief George alleged, have “connived with Tinubu to draft the unknown law that was used to convict him. “Neither Prof. Osinbajo, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nor the House of Assembly, Lagos State, passed any new criminal law. In any event, their tenure ended a year before he was charged to court.

“The other law that came up at the Supreme Court, ‘The Public Procurement Act 2007’, is an Act of the National Assembly, not a state law.”

The vice president also described as fake news the statement by George that they both met in a flight before he became the country’s number two man where he asked Osinbajo to seek repentance from God for his role in his travails. He said he only met George in 2017 during the Lagos at 50 celebration and that aside exchanging pleasantries, no conversation took place.

“The vice president never met Chief Olabode George on any flight within or outside Nigeria. He also never had a discussion with him on his conviction or incarceration on any flight or at any time. “Indeed the only interaction the VP had with Chief George since his incarceration was in 2017 at the 50th anniversary celebration of the founding of Lagos State, where the VP was guest of honour.

“The VP greeted him where he sat with other elders of Lagos State. There was no discussion whatsoever in that brief encounter. “It is hoped that these claims were only falsely credited to him, otherwise one would have to wonder how he came about such an outlandish fiction, complete with a meeting on a flight that definitely never happened!”

However, when contacted,George insisted he met with Osinbajo in a Dana flight en route Abuja to Lagos. He also claimed Osinbajo drafted the law used against him while in office as the Attorney-General of Lagos.

“Why will I lie against him? Was it because I hated him or what? He should refresh his memory. Was he not guilty of what I accused him of? “We met when he was nothing on a Dana flight from Abuja to Lagos. He was on 1C and I was on 1D. We sat beside each other.

“He was not vice president then though I can’t remember the exact year. That was when I told him to seek restitution from God for the evil done against me. “But if he can cross-check with Dana Air, if it is true or not as they have the records – like he said, we also met when he was vice president at the Lagos at 50 celebrations.

“Yes, he claimed he has left office as Attorney-General when the trial started but who wrote the stupid law for Bola Tinubu which they want to use to bring down Bode George? Anyway, I have left everything to God as He has vindicated me,” Bode George said.”
https://www.independent.ng/ive-no-hand-in-your-incarceration-osinbajo-tells-bode-george/

Let me waste this FTC. Let my SW brothers coma be killing themselves on top this one. what's my own?

I believe the VP.

Osunbade has shown time and time again that he is a man without conscience. Soulless demon in the church.
Mr George you are crook too.

Over to you VP, did you sat beside the old man in Dana Flight, Abuja to Lagos ? Lets say the truth and put the devil to shame

He claims he met the VP when he was a nobody.

So a nobody made you go to jail.

Am on George's side here

I would rather believe osinbajo than to believe a lying Old man.

This is absurd. What does Mr Bode tend to gain from this? Tinubu was already out if office by 2007 so your story does not align sir.

Please help me ask from Uncle Bode what his problems are??.. Osinbajo has no hand in your case, so why are you accusing him. George should go and sit down jare

What is this baba saying self,tinubu was out of office since 2007 so what is he saying �

Osinbajo can not tell lie,. Stop this rubbish.

Osinbajo has no hand in your ordeal with EFCC infact he was out of office so what are you saying

It's obvious old age is affecting uncle bode, Tinubu was out of office by 2007, so claiming that one stupid law was made is just a ruse.
Nothing can shake the VP

Chief Bode George - Former Chairman of Nigeria Port Authority

State and Capital

Port : Borders

We are not surprised sir.. Eeyeh easy oooo

I believe the VP Yemi Osinbajo.

hypocrite. when Osinbajo, APC man accused the old man of lying yesterday, you didnt call it fake news.

izzou:


What kind of irrelevant and useless story is this?

My anger is how bloggers will start manufacturing Dana records and disturbing our peace with it

Bode George is a thief and deserves to rot in jail for life.

Cheif Bode Goerge has forgotten it wasn't Lagos he has issues with, It was FG and EFCC. I remember his thanks giving at the Cathedral Anglican Church Marina. Your case was even with FG sir not Lagos state Government. Even of the lies or is it old age.

Old men are the one lying now, From RENO to FFK and now chief BODE

Osinbajo go survive una smear campaign against him

Tinubu was out of office by 2007, so claiming that one stupid law was made is just a ruse. If I may ask what is all the allegations for , what do Bode intend to gain from all this ? I don't seems to understand anytime they See's that everywhere us clam one Claim or the other will raise again just to disturb the peace of VP na waa o

This man is so shameless even at his old age.. So Osibanjo wrote the law for Tinubu the then Lagos state governor purposely to nail you, even when your case was with the federal government which was controlled by your party PDP. How does it add up?

So what does this funny Baba want to bring out of all this? Tinubu as a governor left in 2007, your trial was 2009. It was the EFCC that prosecuted you & infact the Obasanjo led PDP Administration supported the litigation, so what concerns Osinbajo here?
Osinbajo was the one that formulated the law that grinded you coz he was the then attorney-general? Baba you remain relegated politically

STFUand4kMeHARD:
Osunbade has shown time and time again that he is a man without conscience. Soulless demon in the church.
Mr George you are crook too.

I am trying to figure out who is more senseless between you and Bode George.
EFCC/FG charged Bode George to court and he is here accusing Osibanjo.
Was Osibanjo working for FG that time?

Next time borrow sense if you have none before commenting

From VPs explanations which is easily verifiable, he had no hand in Chief George's travails. Assuming it is true that they met, VP must have been quiet out of respect and because he knew there was no basis for an argument or an apology.

Baba should just go and rest jare.

Lmao someone said he did not meet you, is it by force? � what sort of famzing is this? Moreover, the names this man is even calling, none of them were in office at the time he was arraigned, ps rest.

Chief you steps so low at your age, but what exactly is the problem that you want people to know you and the VP once met? Please go and sort who so ever you have issue with and live our VP alone.

Bode! Bode!! Bode!!!! All these claims are to what end? The facts are clear, the years are clear as well. What do you aim to achieve Dear Bode?
Long live the VP.

Mr Nobody made Mr Somebody go to jail?, Lol, this Bode Thomas, sorry George funny sha

I believe Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,why is Bode George opening up his shame again?