Murder of DPO: Cassidy Ikegbidi Still Has Case, Human Rights NGO Insist. Petitions President Tinubu, IGP.

A Human Rights NGO based in Port Harcourt the Rivers State capital, the Rivers Coalition for Human Rights (RCHR), has reacted to a recent court judgement, which acquitted High Chief Cassidy O.W. Ikegbidi of culpability in the murder of the DPO of Ahoada Division, SP. Bako Amgbashim.

Describing the acquittal of Cassidy Ikegbidi as a "travesty of justice", the group alleged that there was a "deliberate bungling of the investigation and prosecution by compromised police officers and State prosecutors". This according to the group in the petition led to the Miscarriage of Justice in the case of High Chief Cassidy Ikegbidi, a key mastermind of the death of late DPO of Ahoada Division, SP. Bako Amgbashim and orchestrator of scores of other killings in Ahoada East LGA, Rivers State.



The group alleged that in the desperate bid to ensure that the true story of how DPO Bako Amgbashim was murdered remains buried, "facts and evidences relating to the matter were suppressed in a sinister bid to procure freedom for High Chief Ikegbidi. A thorough investigation will unravel the criminal nexus between High Chief Ikegbidi and the terror gang led by 2Baba and the murder of SP. Bako Amgbashim and scores of other killings in the Igbuh Akoh area".



The petition is reproduced below:

Rivers Coalition for Human Rights (RCHR)
#13 Agudama Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Tel: 08064758981



The Inspector General of Police
Lous Edet House
Abuja. Nigeria

4th May, 2024

Sir,
Petition on the deliberate bungling of the investigation and prosecution by compromised police officers and State prosecutors and Miscarriage of Justice in the case of High Chief Cassidy Ikegbidi, a key mastermind of the death of late DPO of Ahoada Division, SP. Bako Amgbashim and orchestrator of scores of other killings in Ahoada East LGA, Rivers State.


We are constrained to cry out to you over what we perceive as deliberate lack of diligent prosecution and improper investigation by some compromised police officers in Rivers state, with the sole intent of muddling up the arraignment of a key mastermind of the murder of the late DPO of Ahoada Division, SP. Bako Amgbashim. We have it on good authority that the Police prosecuting team were leaned upon and compromised to sabotage the trial of the alleged mastermind who was arraigned before a law court in Rivers State, which resulted in his acquittal.


In the wake of the gruesome and brutal murder of Police Superintendent Bako Amgbashim, one of the suspects arrested was High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi, who was a known patron and accomplice of Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 baba and his terror gang, who advertised in a video that went viral that they killed the gallant police officer.


We are troubled that High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi and others implicated in the brutal killing and dozens of other murders in Ekpeyeland, were recently acquitted owing to the compromise of the officers charged with the prosecution of the case. It may interest you to know that in his desperation to escape from Justice, High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi was alleged to have showered over N40m on the Police team. If this procured acquittal is allowed to stand, it would amount to a travesty of justice as the hands of High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi and his terror gang are dripping with the blood of Ekpeye people and other Nigerians.


For instance the native doctor who confessed that he saw and recognised Chief Cassidy at the camp of 2 Baba when he went to perfect the charm to demobilize Bako,was mysteriously murdered in Police custody. The native doctor positively identified Chief Ikegbidi during the suspects parade. The commander of Octopus Strike Unit, Superintendent Livinis Iwuh who was in custody of the confessional videos and tapes refused to release them to the authorities and was surreptitiously transferred out of Rivers State, at a time he should have been a key prosecution witness.


The former Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, was fully briefed on Cassidy Ikegbidi's complicity in the heinous murder, and was fully aware of the strength of the evidence gathered in the course of the investigation. Thus was why he ordered the arrest and arraignment of Cassidy Ikegbidi. Both Police officers should be sumoned to appear to throw more light on the matter.


Other accomplices and gang members of 2Baba, who were arrested including the one who confessed that they killed a pregnant mad woman in Bayelsa, in other to use the feotus to prepare a charm, all pointed to Cassidy Ikegbidi as a key patron of their terror gang and their leader, 2Baba.


From the above mentioned examples, it is clear that facts and evidences were suppressed in a sinister bid to procure freedom for High Chief Ikegbidi. A thorough investigation will unravel the criminal nexus between High Chief Ikegbidi and the terror gang led by 2Baba and the murder of SP. Bako Amgbashim and scores of other killings in the Igbuh Akoh area.


It will interest you to note that since 2015, the people of Igbuh Akuh Kingdom, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, have been grappling with unresolved systematic and calculated mass killings, which were orchestrated by High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi , Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 baba) and their terror gang. Within this period acts of terrorisms, mass murder, rape, abuse of rights by criminal elements working under the direct control of High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi , Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 Baba) and their terror gang, led to the total desertion of villages of Igbuh Akuh by the people for fear of death and destructions of properties.


Listed below are the results of the gory harvest of death, blood spilling, unleashed on the innocent people of Igbuh Akuh Kigndom, by High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi , Gift David Okpara Okpolowu (a.k.a 2 baba) and their terror gang. A state of anomie and hopelessness was unleashed on the poor innocent people. Due to fear and poverty, a lot of these murder cases remained unresolved, which only emboldened the culprits to kill SP Bako Angbashim.


 On February 6th 2016, on the instructions of the suspects , particularly High Chief Cassidy Ikegbidi, one Dr. Vincent Enwukagbiyor was killed in cold blood by cult group headed by Gift David (2 Baba). We have attached victims’ pictures for better clarifications.
 On the 10th of June, 2017 the same cult group led by 2 Baba on the instruction of High Chief Cassidy murdered one Dr. Studio Aguyi.
 On the 12th of February, Mrs. Chigbewejim Lawyer was killed by the suspects herein mentioned.
 On the 4th of May, 2023 Mr. Mattew Ebenezer from Abarikpo was killed by the suspects on record.
 Aburi Edi Dickson also an indigene of Abarikpo was killed on the 31st of May , 2023
 The suspects on record masterminded the murder of Papa Eze on the 13th of July, 2022.
 Chief Alugo Joseph was killed on the 28th of April 2022abour 9.20 am, he is from Odhiaje Community.
 Chukwu Kpasa was killed on the 8th of May, 2022. He is from Odiemerenyi.
 Chief Ayada Sunday was killed on the 21st of September, 2021 from Odiemude community.
 Barr. Nathan E. Akatakpo, a Uk trained Lawyer who recently came home for visits was murdered in cold blood and his body mutilated by the suspects on the 21sth of November at about 7:30 Pm, the said lawyer is from Ogbo Community.
 Happy C. Allen was killed on the 1st of December, 2022 at about 1 am; he is a native of Ogbo Community.
 Elder Jamed Okorji was killed on the 5th of September 2022, he is from Ihuagbogo Community.
 Mr. Lazarus Jerome was killed on the 23rd of November, 2022. He is from Ihuagbogo Community.
(Find attached pictorial evidence of these heinous murders)


We are therefore constrained to reach out to your good office to urgently intervene by ordering for a transfer of the investigations to Force Headquarters in Abuja and a fresh arraignment of High Chief Cassidy O. W. Ikegbidi to avoid it being compromised by tainted police officers, who may have been procured to deliver a hidden agenda.


Dependents of all the victims enumerated above shall be produced during the course of investigations. We pray you to use your good offices to ensure that justice is not only seen to be done in this matter but to send a message to criminals and their cohorts anywhere in Nigeria that nobody is above the law.


Signed


Comrade Solomon Olali
Convener


Hanna Ekadi
Secretary


Jenewari Briggs
Investigation and Advocacy Officer.


C.C.
1. The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
2. The Senate President
3. The Speaker, House of Representatives
4. The Honourable Attorney General and Minister for Justice.
5. The National Security Adviser to the President
6. The Director General, Department of State Services (DSS)

Prince Chibudom Nwuche sues Refinitiv Limited for inaccurate, incomplete and misleading information about him on World Check Database: demands Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) as damages


Prince Chibudom Nwuche, a lawyer and former Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian Federal House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, has sued a multinational corporation, Refinitiv Limited (1st Defendant), and two others and is seeking the sum of Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) as damages.

Refinitiv, which is an American-British company and a global provider of financial market data and infrastructure, has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom. The Company maintains a due diligence database known as World-Check Risk Intelligence Database. The database, amongst others, provides information about politically exposed persons as well as their family members and close associates, to interested financial institutions, companies and individuals around the world.

In the action filed at the High Court of Rivers State, Port Harcourt, Prince Chibudom Nwuche (the Claimant) asserted that Refinitiv i) owes him a duty of care to ensure that the information about him in its due diligence database is complete, accurate and not misleading, ii) breached the duty of care owed to him and has been grossly negligent in the way and manner it collated the information about him on its database; iii) World Check database contains incomplete, inaccurate, and misleading information about him; iv) failed or neglected to take necessary steps to ensure the accuracy and veracity of the newspaper reports it relied on before adding his name to one of its uncomplimentary and negative category; and v) has continued to maintain the incomplete, inaccurate and misleading information about him in his data even after its attention has been drawn to this via letters supported by cogent and verifiable documentary evidence.

The Claimant therefore contends that he has suffered economic losses and reputational damage as a result of Refinitiv’s action. According to the Claimant, his bank accounts were closed by First Bank UK Limited (2nd Defendant) and TD Canada Trust (3rd Defendant) after relying on the information on Refinitiv’s database. Even more worrisome to the Claimant is the fact that his family members are now being affected by the acts of Refinitiv. Specifically, his daughter was denied opening an account with USB Bank, Switzerland owing to her categorization by the bank as a politically exposed person (PEP) on the basis that her father was a PEP.

The Claimant is now contending in his action that he is no longer a PEP having left public office over 20 years ago and that his continued classification as a PEP by Refinitiv is unjustifiable and wrong. The Claimant also contends that he does not deserve the reputational damage and economic losses being caused by the Refinitiv’s World Check due diligence database as he is an honest and hard-working Nigerian who can account for every penny and asset he owns.

Essentially, he was already a very successful business man even before ever vying for elective office and founded several companies that were active in the downstream Petroleum sector, trading refined products in Africa, and offering engineering and construction services to the major oil and gas companies including Shell, Agip, Mobil etc. The companies he founded also partnered with several international multinational companies that were industry leaders in the oil and gas sectors and won many large seismic contracts with Shell, Agip, etc. People active in the private sector between 1991 – 1999 can verify this fact. He has always maintained that he ran for elective office solely as a service to his people and not for any other purpose.

Accordingly, he confirmed in the action that even during his tenure as the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee of the Whole between 1999 – 2003, he was neither found wanting nor accused by anyone of involvement in any corrupt practice in spite of his involvement in the passage of important pieces of legislation and several budgets running in to trillions of Naira in Nigeria.

The High Court on 24 April 2024 granted the Claimant’s application for leave to serve the Defendants outside jurisdiction. The matter is now scheduled to come up on 26 June 2024 for further proceedings.

Group Petitions E.F. Network Limited Over Illegal Mining and Export of Lithium.

A group, the Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC), has petitioned a Nigerian registered company, E.F NETWORK LIMITED, to the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations of colluding with Chinese Nationals resident in Nigeria to illegally mine and export Lithium out of the country.

E.F. Network Limited is a Nigerian registered business incorporated in Port Harcourt/Nigeria, with registration number 271506. It was registered on 02 May 1995 and it's current status is unknown. The company's registered office address is 191 Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to the CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) database, the owners/directors/key management personnel of the company are; Gideon Egbuchulam, Egbuchulam Angela, Ogwudire Davis, Abbas Garuba, and Onyeali Vincent.

The listed business interests of the company on its Twitter page are; IT Solutions/Cyber Security Tracking Systems, Waste Management Services and E-commerce and Cloud Services.

The Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition in it's petition disclosed that it was tipped of by some patriotic Nigerians on the activities of E.F. Network Limited and it's Managing Director, Gideon Egbuchulam,who operates out of Plot 31 Pope John Paul Street, Maitama, Abuja, in collusion with some Chinese businessmen in illegally mining and exporting Lithium out of Nigeria.

The group disclosed that Gideon Egbuchulam and his Chinese cohorts, in colabodation with an accomplice based in Jos, Plateua State , has been illegally mining and stockpiling Lithium in a Warehouse in Jos, and exporting same without paying the requisite taxes and without any official license to export the solid minerals out of the country.

The group urged the DSS to inmidiately institute a probe of the activities of Gideon Egbuchulam and E.F. Network Limited and his Chinese partners to prevent the country from being duped.

Group Demands Probe of Bala Wunti, NAPIMS GGM.

A group the, Citizens Watch Coalition has petitioned the Nigerian Senate Demanding the Probe of the Group General Manager of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPMS), Bala Wunti. Recall that as part of the restructuring and consolidation of the NNPC Limited, NAPIMS is now known as the NNPC Upstream Investment Commission. Until his elevation as GGM, one of the most influential roles in the Nigerian Oil industry, Wunti was the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of the NNPC Upstream Management Services.

The group in the petition alleged Multi-billion Dollar Corruption, Massive Contracts Fraud and Sabotage of the nation’s economy by the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPMS), Bala Wunti.

In the petition addressed to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Gas (Petroluem Resources, the group alleged that "Overtime, independent industry sources have revealed that Wunti allegedly awarded different contracts in flagrant violation of the procurement processes and only to companies endorsed by him. According to these sources, the NNPC boss is also known for frustrating oil development operations over his alleged greed and personal interest".

Urging the Senate to urgently probe the state of affairs at NAPIMS, the group disclosed, "There is no doubt that the activities of Bala Wunti represent a clear and present danger to the survival of the Nigerian oil sector, if allowed to continue. This is an urgent call on the Senate to initiate a thorough investigation into the activities of Bala Wunti and his management of NAPIMS".

The petition is reproduced below:

Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC)
#22 Mbiama-Yenagoa Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Tel: 07064748981. whistleblower@gmail.com.

The Chairman
Senate Committee on Gas(Petroleum Resources)
National Assembly
Abuja.

Sir,
Petition on the Multi-billion Dollar Corruption, Massive Contracts Fraud and Sabotage of the nation’s economy by the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPMS), Bala Wunti.

We are constrained to address this petition to your office, in recognition of the fact that the National Assembly remains the true representatives of the Nigerian People and owes the electorates the obligation to stand as a bulwark against corruption and economic sabotage.

It is no secret that over the years, some top management staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited have been accused of awarding fraudulent multi-billion dollars contracts without recourse to procedure and due process. Of immediate concern is the fact that if what was described as corrupt practices in the nations apex oil industry was a trickle, today we are confronted by an avalanche, that if left unchecked will doom oil production and lead to a possible economic meltdown occasioned by lost oil revenue.

Leading the pack in this upsurge of corrupt practices, according to confidential sources within the industry and preliminary investigations is the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPMS), Bala Wunti. Instructively, as part of the restructuring and consolidation of the NNPC Limited, NAPIMS is now known as the NNPC Upstream Investment Services. Until his elevation as GGM, one of the most influential roles in the Nigerian Oil industry, Wunti was the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of the NNPC Upstream Management Services. It was reliably gathered that Wunti got the job through the influence of Malam Abba Kyari, the late Chief of Staff to President Buhari. He hails from the same Bauchi State as Mrs Kyari.

Overtime, independent industry sources have revealed that Wunti allegedly awarded different contracts in flagrant violation of the procurement processes and only to companies endorsed by him.

According to these sources, the NNPC boss is also known for frustrating oil development operations over his alleged greed and personal interest.

Following the transition of the NNPC into a public limited liability company saddled with the responsibilities of raising funds both locally and internationally with huge investors' confidence, it is expected that its operations will be run transparently and devoid of any whiff of sharp practices. It goes without saying that any hint of scandal associated with the company will immensely affect her image and also the country at large.

This is why the Nigerian Senate must rise to the occasion and probe into the operations of the management of NNPC, now NNPC Ltd and specifically the current GGM of NAPIMS, Bala Wunti who over the years with the collaboration of his cohorts in both the multinational and indigenous oil companies has been involved in defrauding the nation's wealth through Inflating NAPIMS JV Cash Call Budgets.

Credible and independent industry sources who have spoken to Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC), alleged the following acts of corruption and fraudulent practices against Bala Wunti and his stewardship in NAPIMS:

1. Affiliations and Profit Sharing with certain oil servicing companies and multinational oil companies with the collaboration of certain individuals in these companies namely Eroton, Aiteo, Belema oil etc.

2. Bullying and frustrating contractors and operators (mainly the indigenous oil companies who have refused to partake in his fraudulent schemes) and frustrating oil development operations due to his greed and promotion of personal interest.

3. Total disregard for rules and due process in contracting processes.

4. Falsifying documents to conceal bribe payments and fraudulently mischaracterizing these bribes as normal business expenses.

5. Overbilling with an understanding that some of the payments are bribes; and Inappropriate hiring practices, such as issuing contracts or hiring candidates solely based on referrals by his cronies and business associates. Amidst the various indecent and corrupt practices being perpetuated by the GGM NAPIMS, Mr. Bala Wunti and his cohorts in the operating oil companies, is the continual decrease in Nigeria's oil production which could be partly linked to his greed and style of management.

We understand that some certain personalities in NNPC top management are well protected due to their ties to previous administrations, especially Bala Wunti who is being referred to as the "most powerful man currently in NNPC”. He is a man who commands his protection by providing funds got from his criminal acts to his protectors in the corridors of power. We urge Nigerians to come out with credible information on the activities of Bala Wunti and his cohorts in NNPC Limited and NAPIMS, as these acts are bleeding the nation dry. Such information should be forwarded to whistleblower@gmail.com. This will aid in the prosecution of all those involved in this gargantuan rip off of the nation.

Investigations by Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC), show that Bala Wunti and his cohorts in the operating companies are engaged in fraudulently inflating the yearly JV cash call budgets to cover their share/interest and once the funds are made available by the Federal Government & JV Partners, their shares are split accordingly. This is usually done with JV companies like Eroton, Aiteo, Belema oil etc. This is not just fraudulent but constitutes economic sabotage on the nation. A Forensic Audit will unearth the Augean stable of the financial reporting misconduct going on at NAPIMS. There has been reported cases of inflating the cost of the crude handling charge for every barrel of oil that is lifted out of our troubled oil producing regions. This is included in the JV budget. Investigation shows that a specific amount (about $4/bbl) is being added on the actual handling cost that is provided in the budget to cover Bala Wunti and his cohorts interest/share.

Again, their interest is farmed out once the funds are made available. JV companies involved in this are Eroton, AITEO, Belema oil, etc. A Forensic Audit will reveal that Bala Wunti is involved in profit sharing with some certain service providers with which he uses to inflate project rates.

Most worrisome is the bullying of indigenous oil companies and favoritism to a few oil companies in ensuring contracts are awarded to certain companies which we believe he has affiliations. Under his watch, NAPIMS has stopped collecting tenders as he operates with a list of favored companies manned by his fronts and cohorts who are given all the contracts in the oil industry.

It is an open secret that Wunti is notorious for frustrating oil development operations for personal gains and using his position as a top official to exclusively give contracts to companies he favors in flagrant violation of the procurement procedures.

A Major concern is the country’s participation in the Deepwater field development space, which is the major contributor to the nations oil production. Despite the rise in the crude oil price in the past months, with countries all over the world taking advantage of this opportunity by aggressively embarking on reserve growth and field developments to ensure they derive maximum benefit (economy, job creation, etc), this high prices currently present, Nigeria has only one (1) deep offshore rig currently carrying out drilling operations, which is the SNEPco Bonga OML 118 drilling operation. Despite this challenge in the nations oil development, Bala Wunti, due to his greed, personal interest and inherent fraudulent character, is willing to frustrate this Bonga field development to the detriment of the sufferings and yelling of the nation and Nigerians in general.

In an earlier petition by Concerned Citizens of Nigeria, revealed, “investigations show that on the 18th March 2022, SNEPco wrote requesting NAPIMS approval to exercise the two(2) years optional extension of the existing NNPC approved contract with OCEAN DEEP DRILING (ODNEL)/VALARIS by extending the contract duration for another two years for the provision of Deep Offshore Drilling Rig Services. The Valaris DS-10 DRILLSHIP is currently carrying out drilling operations in the Bonga field OML 118. This approval request will ensure an uninterrupted drilling activity in the field. Interestingly seven months after, NAPIMS GGM refused to approve the contract extension. From our investigation, follow up letters and phone calls to the NAPIMS GGM office failed to yield any result

On account of the fact that NAPIMS supervises all the Federal Government investments in the oil and gas sector it is not in the best interest of Nigeria to continue to turn a blind eye to the rot and gargantuan abuse of office being perpetuated by the GGM. Of particular interest and concern is the offshore drilling contract awarded to TIREX Petroleum and Energy by First E&P at a cost of 100,000 dollars per day.

The current regime of impunity at NAPIMS which is solely interested in massaging the interest of Bala Wunti and his array of favored companies and business fronts, short changes and imperils other local service providers within the oil sector, who are forced to be spectators. So long as BALA Wunti remains as the GGM of NAPIMS, not only will the reign of sleaze and impunity continue, but there will be little or no development and progress in the nations oil and gas sector.

It is imperative and a patriotic duty that the Senate Committee on Oil and Gas must invite First E&P to explain how they got the contract in the first place and to explain the relationship between it TIREX Petroleum and Energy and Bala Wunti.

The most favored in the list of companies is the company named TIREX Petroleum and Energy Limited. A lot of questions are being asked on what "is the affiliation between this company (which is under the cover of another company known as STILL EARTH) and the GGM of NAPIMS. Another company in Wunti’s portfolio of favored clients is First E & P which is registered with the CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) as an offshore oil company.

A search of the CAC database reveal that Still Earth Holding Company has a number of companies with that name with a common roll of directors and share holders namely: Oluwafunmilayo Oyindamola Adeyemi, Patrick Olusegun Odegbami and Anthony Ogunlela amongst others. (See attached documents). The interesting thing is not only that Tirex Petroleum and Energy share the same directors but the same same official address.

TIREX Petroleum and Energy Limited was incorporated in year 2020 and coincidentally about the same time Bala Wunti was appointed the GGM of NAPIMS. A very interesting coincidence indeed. This set up seems to be for the sole purpose of diverting projects to TIREX. Bala Wunti’s dealings with TIREX was initially predominantly around Drilling projects, but the company recently added additional product codes on NIPEX portal to take advantage of Bala's influence in diverting other non-drilling related project to her.

A company that has never ever participated in any competitive tender since it was established but has been gracefully awarded several contracts that resulted from the forceful and bullying act of the GGM NAPIMS.

It should be noted that the former Managing Director, John Musa resigned to protect his integrity as the illegality of Bala Wunti and Tirex became unbearable for him.

Some of the information marshalled out here is not new as they have been drummed up by concerned stakeholders in the past. News sources have also drawn attention to these, which raise the question of why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the ICPC have not commenced an investigation. Or perhaps it is true as alleged that Bala Wunti who has amassed enormous wealth over his more than three decades in the nation’s oil and gas industry, truly “has the National Assembly and the Presidency in his pocket” as has been known to brag too often.

There is no doubt that the activities of Bala Wunti represent a clear and present danger to the survival of the Nigerian oil sector, if allowed to continue. This is an urgent call on the Senate to initiate a thorough investigation into the activities of Bala Wunti and his management of NAPIMS.

Signed
Nafiu Ibrahim
Ella Susan
Obi Nwakanma

C.C
The President, Nigerian Senate
The Speaker, House of Representatives

Prince Chibudom Nwuche sues Refinitiv Limited for inaccurate, incomplete and misleading information about him on World Check Database: demands Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) as damages





Prince Chibudom Nwuche, a lawyer and former Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian Federal House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, has sued a multinational corporation, Refinitiv Limited (1st Defendant), and two others and is seeking the sum of Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00) as damages.





Refinitiv, which is an American-British company and a global provider of financial market data and infrastructure, has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom. The Company maintains a due diligence database known as World-Check Risk Intelligence Database. The database, amongst others, provides information about politically exposed persons as well as their family members and close associates, to interested financial institutions, companies and individuals around the world.





In the action filed at the High Court of Rivers State, Port Harcourt, Prince Chibudom Nwuche (the Claimant) asserted that Refinitiv i) owes him a duty of care to ensure that the information about him in its due diligence database is complete, accurate and not misleading, ii) breached the duty of care owed to him and has been grossly negligent in the way and manner it collated the information about him on its database; iii) World Check database contains incomplete, inaccurate, and misleading information about him; iv) failed or neglected to take necessary steps to ensure the accuracy and veracity of the newspaper reports it relied on before adding his name to one its uncomplimentary and negative category; and v) has continued to maintain the incomplete, inaccurate and misleading information about him in his data even after its attention has been drawn to this via letters supported by cogent and verifiable documentary evidence.





The Claimant therefore contends that he has suffered economic losses and reputational damage as a result of Refinitiv’s action. According to the Claimant, his bank accounts were closed by First Bank UK Limited (2nd Defendant) and TD Canada Trust (3rd Defendant) after relying on the information on Refinitiv’s database. Even more worrisome to the Claimant is the fact that his family members are now being affected by the acts of Refinitiv. Specifically, his daughter was denied opening an account with USB Bank, Switzerland owing to her categorization by the bank as a politically exposed person (PEP) on the basis that her father was a PEP.





The Claimant is now contending in his action that he is no longer a PEP having left public office over 20 years ago and that his continued classification as a PEP by Refinitiv is unjustifiable and wrong. The Claimant also contends that he does not deserve the reputational damage and economic losses being caused by the Refinitiv’s World Check due diligence database as he is an honest and hard-working Nigerian who can account for every penny and asset he owns.





Essentially, he was already a very successful business man even before ever vying for elective office and founded several companies that were active in the downstream Petroleum sector, trading refined products in Africa, and offering engineering and construction services to the major oil and gas companies including Shell, Agip, Mobil etc. The companies he founded also partnered with several international multinational companies that were industry leaders in the oil and gas sectors and won many large seismic contracts with Shell, Agip, etc. People active in the private sector between 1991 – 1999 can verify this fact. He has always maintained that he ran for elective office solely as a service to his people and not for any other purpose.





Accordingly, he confirmed in the action that even during his tenure as the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee of the Whole between 1999 – 2003, he was neither found wanting nor accused by anyone of involvement in any corrupt practice in spite of his involvement in the passage of important pieces of legislation and several budgets running in to trillions of Naira in Nigeria. The matter is yet to be fixed for hearing.

KELGA PATRIOTIC FORUM

Re- Ogoni Development Drive Warning To the Ikwerre L G A Chairman,
Honourable Samuel Nwanosike.

Press Release:

Our attention has been drawn to an infantile press release, published in Today's Top News of Wednesday January 17,2024, warning our amiable, hardworking and indefatigable political Leader of ikwerre Local Government Area.

Ordinarily, we the ikwerre patriotic forum wouldn't have bothered to respond or react to such unfounded, hollow and unintelligent Press release, emanating from such an unpopular and faceless group called the Ogoni Development Drive whose stock in trade, under sponsorship by politicians in the state, is to malign respected politicians who have clean and outstanding political records, just to score or gain cheap recognition and relevance.

In as much as we are committed to ensuring peace and stability in the state, we are not unaware of the antics of some disreputable politicians in the state, who pay some self acclaimed and misguided youth leaders in the state and self seeking groups to rubbish the reputation of the Hon. Minister of the FCT , His Excellency Chief Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

As supporters of the minister, we Will not relent to defend at all times the integrity of chief Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.

As a group drawn from the 13 wards of ikwerre local government area, we wish to sound it crystal clear and warn any person or group Who by any reason insults , malign our leader and chairman of ikwerre local government area, Hon. Chief Dr. Samuel Nwanosike.

The Ikwerre patriotic forum had ignored in the past, some abusive and insulting words used on Him. Samuel Nwanosike by some unscrupulous political sycophants in the state whose trademark is to discredit and criticize those whose names has been written in gold.

Hon. Samuel Nwanosike does not need to make noise, criticize or join issues with anybody to make a name.


We, therefore warn for the last time anybody who wants to trade with the precious name of Hon. Samuel Nwanosike to desist forthwith as the group will not tolerate or condone further aspersions, capable of tarnishing the hard earned reputation of Hon. Samuel Nwanosike.

Enough is Enough.

Signed

Wariso Wariso,
Coordinator
Ikwerre Patriotic Forum

Be Wary of Dubious Elders, Group Urges Gov. Sim Fubara


A group the Rivers First Movement (RFM) has urged the Rivers State governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara to be wary what it termed “dubious elders”, who it alleged has been parading themselves as the official spokespersons and has been operating under the false acronym of Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, a claim that is dubious, dishonorable, and deceitful and an outright falsehood.

The group in statement jointly signed by Onengiye Brown, Bekwele Amadinna and Owuzeshi Amachree noted that, “these so called elders in an embarrassing display of ignorance questioned the intentions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in wading into the political crisis in Rivers state. One wonders where they got the locus to impugn the good intentions of the president who took an oath to maintain peace and security in the entire country. We wonder how the noble intentions of Mr. President offended their warped sensibilities”.



According to a statement released in Port Harcourt, the group stated;



"We have watched the absurd claims and ugly vituperations of a group of meddlesome interlopers, who in a disservice to our dear Rivers state has been parading themselves as elders of Rivers state. This group that is made up of some former governors, senators and academics, has been parading themselves as the official spokespersons and has been operating under the false acronym of Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, a claim that is dubious, dishonorable, and deceitful and an outright falsehood.



In an advertorial published in the Vanguard Newspaper of Friday, December 29th, 2023, these so called elders in an embarrassing display of ignorance questioned the intentions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in wading into the political crisis in Rivers state. One wonders where they got the locus to impugn the good intentions of the president who took an oath to maintain peace and security in the entire country. We wonder how the noble intentions of Mr. President offended their warped sensibilities.





If they had called themselves concerned elders, it will be understandable and they should know better, than to embark on this disreputable and disruptive exercise geared towards cheap hustle and reaping where they did not sow. It is sad to note that these so called elders played no part during the struggle to get Siminilaye Fubara elected as the governor of Rivers state. They neither campaigned nor voted for him and some of them are on record to have worked for other political parties opposed to the aspiration of Gov. Fubara and the PDP and their children contested under parties opposed to PDP and lost.







Gov. Fubara knows the people that played a part in his victory, those who endorsed him and worked tirelessly to ensure that no stone was left unturned to deliver him to victory. It is globally accepted that politics goes with patronage. It is morally wrong to seek to destroy the political ladder that propelled one to victory, based on the dubious advice of emergency cheerleaders, who are nothing more than conflict entrepreneurs, seeking to reap where they did not sow.







We would not have taken any exception in the false and misguided claims, if they had restricted themselves to being concerned elders, as there is a well-recognized body known as The Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum. While not joining issues with these purveyors of falsehood, we urge the likes of former governor Rufus Ada George, Senators Ben Birabi and Andrew Uchendu to live up to the expectations, which the high offices they once occupied, imposes on them, to be truthful arbiters and promoters of peace and justice. These elders should search their consciences and asked themselves if they worked for the emergence of Gov. Sim Fubara.







Given the trauma Rivers state and it's citizens have been plunged into since the onset of this needless crisis and the commitment of Gov. Fubara to abide by the resolutions of the meeting brokered by President Tinubu, it is obvious that the so called elders are shone of emotional intelligence and do not want peace to prevail by their unholy questioning of the resolve to bury all hatchet through the return of the commissioners who resigned on principle based on their abhorrence to chaos and anarchy as exemplified by the intemperate demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly.







It amounts to crying more than the bereaved when Gov. Fubara has accepted that the Assembly should choose a venue for their sitting through his proclamation that no price is too much to pay for peace. It is tragic that these elders choose to flog a dead horse with their insistence that the 27 lawmakers cannot sit with the four lawmakers led by Edison Ehie. If one may ask, when did these elders usurp the statutory functions of INEC, by insisting that the seat of the Assembly members have been declared vacant? Obviously, these jokers are enemies of democracy.







It is also pertinent to add here that the commissioners that resigned and the Assembly members, contributed to the victory of PDP and Gov. Fubara in their various polling units and wards thorough rigorous campaigns and mobilization of funds and their supporters. It is therefore mind-boggling that these outsiders and usurpers are rising up to challenge their status as stakeholders in the Gov. Fubara led government.







We commend the dignified silence of the authentic elders of Rivers state and their tireless efforts to ensure the restoration of peace and normalcy. We are embarrassed by the macabre dance of chicanery by these perennial political hustlers, some of who spent years in political office without attracting any meaningful development to their people and to Rivers state. We are shocked and shamed by the dubious motives and questionable intensions of these elders which are manifested in their disputations of the outcomes of a peace parley, convened by the President, which has finally rested the political crisis in the state.







We urge Rivers youths who have been drafted into the fray through endless protests, in a bid to destabilize the state, to be mindful of their actions, which is undermining the peace, security and stability of the state.







We call on the Rivers State governor, His Excellency Siminialye Fubura, to be wary of dubious elders and conflict entrepreneurs, whose only motive is to perpetuate the crisis, while deepening their pockets.







Finally, we commend the president and commander in chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his timely intervention, which has restored peace and stability to Rivers state. It is a demonstration of his love for Rivers people”.

Nwuche Mourns Former Speaker Ghali Na’Abba.

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon Prince Chibudom Nwuche has expressed shock over the death of Former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba with whom he worked closely between 1999 to 2003 and with whom he has been working closely with ever since and condoled with the family, wife and children and the people of Kano Municipal Federal Constituency over the huge loss.

Nwuche who described the death of Ghali as a great loss to the nation and the Democratic family, noted that Ghali was an erudite speaker who led a vibrant house with many outstanding achievements including passing into law of several important legislations such as Cabotage Act, NSCDC Act, EFCC Act, ICPC Act, the NDDC Act amongst other bills.

He emphasized that Ghali stood for a prosperous and developed Nigeria based on the rule of law, through separation of powers of the various arms of government. He was a detribalized and patriotic Nigerian who treated all Nigerians equally and fairly irrespective of tribe and religion.

He will be missed by all lovers of democracy in the country, as despite leaving political office over two decades ago, he continued to intervene regularly on national issues by providing guidance.

He longed to see a prosperous and developed Nigeria based on equity and fairness to the various segments of our country.

May his great soul rest in perfect peace.

Ndigbo and Nightmare of coming home for Christmas, As Deteriorating infrastructure and Uncountable checkpoints Makes Life a Helish Experience



AS Ndigbo and other residents of South East region prepare to return home for Christmas and New Year celebrations, they are sure to face nightmare of passing through uncountable checkpoints, which actually are extortion points by security operatives. No route to the region is free of excessive extortion checkpoints.


Put together, from Lagos to Onitsha, Abuja to Enugu and the numerous ones dotting the roads in the region, no less than 4000 checkpoints constitute embarrassing barriers the people are subjected to. At each checkpoint, motorists are openly extorted amounts ranging between N200 to N1000. This cuts across checkpoints manned by military and police.


Most embarrassing is that in some of these checkpoints, passengers are forced to disembark from their vehicles to walk across before boarding their vehicles again. Painfully, this is done irrespective of the weather or the health condition of the occupants in such vehicles.


While brazenly engaging in the extortion spree, motorists and their passengers are also inhumanly treated like a conquered people. Annoyingly, in some cases the security operatives are not interested in carrying out routine security checks but to just extort and humiliate the commuters. They behave and act as if they are for different mission in the region other than to provide security to the people. Surprisingly, despite all the hues and cries from the people about this ugly trend in the South East, the military and police high command are yet to take any visible serious actions to stop it.


While Condemning the high rate of extortion of motorists on the South East roads, particularly by police and soldiers, the Coordinator of the Eastern Development Initiative ( EDI), Comrade Ugochukwu Nwaosueke urged the police and military high commands to take drastic measures against their men involved in the evil act. He insisted that the leadership of the security agencies must do more than giving out orders and threats which are hardly taken serious.


“We wish to call the attention of the leadership of these security agencies to take more than a passing interest in the evil activities of their men and officers against Nigerians. It is unfortunate that the issue of extortion on our roads continues to multiply, with perpetrators unashamedly going about their ugly activities in the full glare of the public, including innocent children.



From Aba to Umuahia, Enugu to Nsukka, Okigwe to Owerri, Owerri to Port Harcourt, from Port Harcourt to Aba, Umuikaa Junction to Owerri, Aba to Ikot-Ekpene and across several major roads in the South East, huge man hours are lost daily on account of multiple checkpoints where motorists are intimidated and extorted. As we approach the yuletide, more checkpoints with gun-wielding officials are daily taking over the highways in the South East. It is now an open bazaar on South East roads.


They are openly extorting from motorists, even giving change for those who so demand.“Seeing all of these, we are forced to ask; at what point did Nigerian roads become commercial banks and security and law enforcement agents’ cashiers? The IGP and the CPs, the military high command must do more than just barking out threats and orders against their men on the highways”, Nwaosueke lamented.


Comrade Nwaosueke charged the governors of South East to rise up and say enough is enough. He said the humiliation has lasted because the South East governors have allowed it.


He stated: “The EDI strongly condemns such humiliation and torture of the residents of South East. It is happening because the governors gave their consent to it. I have always insisted that the security chiefs in the South East must have mentioned it to the governors during security meetings and the governors approved of that.


“The governors should rise and stop it. The people of South East should not be treated with such disdain.”Yes, there had been cases of criminals attacking security agents at checkpoints, but this shouldn’t warrant such measure. It is capable of generating hatred in the minds of residents, thereby making them not to volunteer necessary intelligence needed to ensure effective security of the zone”.


Based in n careful analysis, it is now clear that the checkpoints across South East region are officially set for extortion, intimidation, humiliation against Ndigbo”.


Available intelligence has revealed that the checkpoints are very often used for evils, in some cases kidnappings.


“Nigeria’s checkpoints in the South East are official organized extortion, humiliation, intimidation of Ndigbo. Huge sums of money is extorted from the Igbo at gunpoint at checkpoints, including those by another terrible group called Road Safety Corps, the topmost nemesis of travelers, whose own assignment is how to make bad things worse.


“Igbo youths with laptops, attractive handsets, reverse caps, sagging trousers, backpacks, especially those in flashy cars are instantly arrested for being “Yahoo boys” and, once taken or dragged behind a nearby building, they are never seen again by their families. The intimidation must stop”, Nwaosueke said.


Concluding, he wished the entire Ndigbo, a successful yuletide celebration and a prosperous New Year.

Protests Against Wike Sponsored by Enemies of Nigeria.
...Southern Group replies Northern protesters.
...Says Wike Will remian FCT Minister.

A group in southern Nigeria, the Niger Delta Situation Room has condemned orchestrated protests against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyeso Wike, describing it as being sponsored by enemies of Nigeria.

The group in a swift reaction to the protests at the National Assembly on Wednesday 6th December, calling for the resignation of the FCT Minister, described the organizers of the protests as political jobbers and members of the criminal cartel that held the FCT and the FCDA in a vice grip, engaging in both land racketeering and embezzlement of funds running into billions of naira from the FCT.


The group in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Senibo Isaac Green, disclosed that person's from a particular section of the country has been having sleepless nights ever since the FCT Minister, upon his appointment, rolled up his sleeves and went to work committed to clean up the auguean stable of sleeze and corruption which the FCT had been turned into.


The Niger Delta Situation Room noted that the protesters and their sponsors panicked by Wike's famed no nonsense attitude and dedication to work, has resorted to all manner of campaigns of blackmail and calumny to distract Wike.


"Earlier we had seen a resort to wiping up religious and ethnic sentiments against the Minister and the spreading of unfounded lies and baseless propaganda, all in a bid to cast the FCT Minister in a bad light".


The group refuted claims the Abuja hired protesters that the indigenous people of the FCT were unhapoy with the land reforms instituted by Wike, to recover lands recklessly stolen from both the indigenes and the government, describing it as a bare faced lie born out of wishful thinking and promoted by fears that the years of misdeed by the cabal of land racketeerers, will be exposed by Wike.


The group wondered why the security agencies has chosen to turn a blind eye to the neferous activities of these agents doom and darkness and their sponsors, who are vehement in pushing the country into the abyss of chaos and anarchy.


The Niger Delta Situation Room disclosed that it may be forced to march into Abuja if the unwarranted and ethnic inspired campaign to impugn and bring Wike down is not checked.


"We wish to sound it loud and clear that Wike is not going anywhere. He will remian in his office and discharg the duties and responsibilities assigned to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Wike has continued to demonstrate competence and an iron will to discharge his duties. Those who believe that Nigeria belongs to them should leave him alone to work", the group concluded.

Award to Magu is an insult to Nigerians.
By Hassan Ramewa

It has often been said that when a lie is often repeated,it starts competiting with the truth. This is why a recent attempt by a little known NGO, Foreign Investment Network, to sweep under the carpet, through a nebuluos award, the henious crimes committed by the disgraced former chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, needs to be repudiated as it represents an insult to Nigerians.


The idea that any group of Nigerians could recognize Ibrahim Magu, for any kind of award is simply mind boggling. That Ibrahim Magu can also in good conscience recieve such an award of honour, signposts the depth of moral degerency, he has sunk to.

Perhaps it may be necessary to revisit Ibrahim Magu's saga as the anti corruption Czar of Nigeria and how he subverted that position to the ruin of Nigeria.


It will be recalled that The Presidential Panel that probed former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, revealed that 14 fraud cases involving N118 billion and $309 million were abandoned by the anti-graft commission under his watch.

In July 2020, as acting chairman of the EFCC, Magu was arrested, detained, and suspended. He was brought before the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel on allegations of gross misconduct.

The panel headed by Ayo Salami, former president of the court of appeal, was set up to probe the EFCC from May 2015 to May 2020, when Magu was in charge of the agency.

He was further accused of suppressing high-profile cases involving four ex-governors, one of whom became a senator.


According to media reports, the final report was submitted to President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in November 2020. The EFCC, under Magu’s watch, was also accused of not remitting a N48 billion loot recovered in foreign and local currencies.

The former EFCC boss was alleged to have mishandled the recovered loot and sold seized assets to his associates.

The report reviewed written and oral testimonies of over 100 witnesses, having overtaken nationwide physical verification of recovered forfeited assets, including real estate, automobiles, vessels, and other non-cash and cash assets.


The review of the report of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Assets showed that the anti-graft commission gave contradictory figures on the total number of recovered real estate.

“The EFCC under the watch of the suspended Ag. Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, in its submission to PCARA reported N46,038,882,509.87 as being the foreign currency equivalent recovered by the commission between May 29, 2015, and November 22, 2018,” the report stated.

It added, “The EFCC, under Magu, however, only produced evidence of lodgements of thirty-seven billion, five hundred and thirty-three million, seven hundred and sixty-four thousand, one hundred and ninety-five naira, sixty-six kobo, leaving a shortfall of eight billion, five hundred and five million, one hundred and eighteen thousand, three hundred and fourteen naira, twenty-one kobo.

“The EFCC reported to PCARA a total naira recovery of five and four billion, one hundred and fifty-four million, one hundred and eighty-four thousand, seven hundred and forty-four naira, four kobo, the actual bank lodgement of the naira recoveries was, however, five hundred and forty-three billion, five hundred and eleven million, seven hundred and ninety-two thousand, eight hundred and sixty-three naira, forty-seven kobo.

“That EFCC failed to produce before PCARA the evidence/record of the difference of thirty-nine billion, three hundred and fifty-seven million, six hundred and eight thousand, one hundred and nineteen naira, forty-three kobo.

“The EFCC, in its returns on non-cash assets, made to the president on April 7, 2017, declared 836 as the total number of recovered real estates, while in its first and second returns to PCARA, it rendered contradictory figures of 339 on 13/12/2017, leaving a difference of 497 and 504 on 9/3/2018, with a difference of 332.”

In addition, the panel alleged that Magu abandoned multi-million dollar fraud cases involving high-profile individuals and transferred some officials of the commission investigating the cases.

Magu was also accused of disobeying court orders and presidential directives.

“Between 2016 and 2019, fourteen (14) procurement fraud cases involving N117,972,209,035 and $309,151,419 were abandoned under Mr Ibrahim Magu’s watch,” the judicial commission said.

It added, “The commission observed from its findings that prosecutorial decisions by Ibrahim Magu on case files were based on his personal whims, as against the law and facts. The commission also notes the prevalence of widespread corruption, abuse of power and pervasive impunity in the running of the EFCC.”

The panel also said records of forfeited assets were poorly kept by the commission.

Under Magu’s watch, the panel stated, eight plazas were seized by EFCC but the commission reported no forfeiture of the plazas.

In addition, three jets were listed in interim forfeiture, but the panel could not trace them; 21 hotels were reported to have been forfeited on an interim order, but only eight were found; 42 fuel stations were reported to have been forfeited on an interim order, only eight could be verified.

According to the report, the vessels seized by the commission were neglected, and they sank into the sea with a substantial quantity of petroleum products.

It further revealed, “In 2016, Magu halted the process of disposing of two finally forfeited vessels, MT Good Success with 1,459 metric tons of PMS; and MT Askaris with 3,423,097 metric tons of crude…the cargoes eventually sank…Magu also asked the navy to release two vessels conveying illegally refined AGO to their owners,” the panel said.

“Thirteen vessels that were handed over to the EFCC by the Nigerian Navy, out of a total number of 154 vessels, sank with it's contents due to negilgence on the part if the EFCC.

“The submissions made by the EFCC before the commission shows that, from inception to date, the total number of non-cash assets recovered under final forfeiture was 3133. The analysis of the recoveries shows that some of the assets were disposed of, forfeited to a third party or negligently lost. The commission conducted physical verification of recovered assets across the country from 1st-27th October 2020. The outcome of the exercise was revealing as some of the forfeited assets have been lost, deteriorated, physically possessed by the suspects, or could not be traced and in some instances remain in occupation years after their final forfeiture.

“The EFCC reported disposal of 275 real estates, but the judicial commission only confirmed 76 disposals.”

Given the enormity of these mind boggling heist and criminality, which borders on economic sabotage, lack patriotism and petty stealing, it is tragic and big slap to Nigerians that instead of facing prosecution for his crimes, Ibrahim Magu, is strutting around, receiving awards and accolades.


At a time the country is grasping the plague of sundery crimes being committed by youngsters in the name get rich quick schemes like, cyber fraud, ritual murders etc, the award to Magu is not only a tacit endorsement of crime but a traumatic acknowledgement that crime pays.

Magu must be made to have his day in court and answer to the enormous charges against him. He needs to be in the dock as a reminder that crime is bad and not in the klieglights.

Wike as FCT Minister: A Blessing to Nigeria, By Karl Chinedu Uchegbu.



Reading Olu Fasan's lengthy diatribe against the Minister of the FCT, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, was both torturuos and frustrating, on account of his casual disregard for facts and logic. The write up also evoked deep sympathy for the author, who comes across as a tortured mind screaming for attention and help.

Schadenfreude can literarily be explained as a condition that affects someone who derives pleasures from the misfortune of another. Olu Fasan's illogical postulations was a clear manifestation of schadenfreude.

In his desperate attempt to drag the FCT Minister in the mud, he ended up muddling his thought processes by dragging the supplementary budget and casting aspersions on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over issues that has been already clarified, justaposing it with issues that are internal to the smooth running of the FCT and the political misunderstanding in Rivers State.

Wallowing in self induced manic depression, Olu Fasan choose to forget that spending on state house clinic, feeding in the villa etc are recurrent expenditure that is a feature of every administration since 1999 and even under the military. Bouyed by selective amnesia, Olu Fasan cannot remember that President Buhari spent huge sums on the same budget items while in Aso Rock. Of course it will be too much thinking for Olu Fasan and his co-travellers to remember that since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took over from Buhari, the serial killing of Nigerians by Fulani herdsman, who were aided by those in government has stopped. Will they remember that President Tinubu, has been travelling abroad selling Nigeria in an untiring effort to attract investment and reluanch the national economy on the path of growth.


Questioning the rationale for the appointment of Chief Barr. Wike as the Minister of the FCT is a clear demonstration of schizophrenia, a condition that afflicts the victim with inability to interprete reality normally.

At it's inception Abuja was mainly a civil servant city and a few rich people. I Over the years Abuja has evolved into a megacity and with this evolution, came the bastardisation of the Abuja masterplan. Abuja lost its orderliness. The covers of virtually all the underground drains were stolen. Street lights were not working well in some areas. There was filth in some parts of Abuja; in Maitama, around the Federal Secretariat, the road leading to the National Assembly, Jabi and other highbrow areas.

This is the FCT Wike met. The mandate President Bola Tinubu gave to him is not different from the mandate Obasanjo gave to El-Rufai. So the opposition and uproar is understandable. El-Rufai experienced the same opposition and blackmail. It is therefore not unexpected that Wike will face the same flack because he is trying to bring sanity, orderliness and more developments to Abuja.

The appointment of ministers, especially that of the FCT is the prerogative of the president. Wike can only be judged based on his performance in office as FCT Minister. He did well in Rivers State and he will be do better in Abuja. His mandate, is to make Abuja the most beautiful city in Africa and one of the best in the world. There is no action Wike has taken so far in the FCT that raises suspicion or violates the Constitution.

Hitherto, the indigenous people of the FCT were relegated to the background. But he is giving them attention. He has given vehicles to traditional rulers within FCT and promised indigenous communities within the FCT quota in employment into FCT agencies. He has secured approval for establishment of FCT Civil Service Commission. This will make FCT civil servants to rise to the pinnacle of their careers. He is about to commence construction of roads in satellite towns within the FCT. He is campaigning for better welfare for judicial officers in the FCT. He has many other good plans for the FCT.

Of course those whose plots of land were revoked and those whose properties were demolished have every reason to feel bad. It is natural, but Wike has not been subjective. Even plots of land belonging to government agencies were revoked. Customs officials went to see him and he told them that those who want their land back should repurchase them at current value and pay all necessary fees. Wike’s traducers have not told us their real grouse. Maybe, they are used to indolence, inertia and ineptitude. That is not Wike. You might accuse Wike of being brash, but he is well educated, experienced in governance and a goal getter.


Wike and President Tinubu enjoy a personal relationship that is underpinned by mutual respect and admiration for competence, intellect, hard work and dedication to serving the people.


The foci of the grouse of Olu Fasan and his co-travellers can be located in the last paragraphs of his write up. It is obvious that some people whose political sojourn has come to a screeching halt, are afraid that Wike's esposure as the FCT Minister and given his legendary devotion to performance, will eclipse their wanning stars, which has burnt out. This jaundiced perception of reality is what is fueling the array of contrived attacks by hastily recruited political sicarios and headunters.


Being a renowned purveyor of falsehood, Olu Fasan, in his rush to dance to the drums of his master's, forgot that opinions may be free, but facts are sacred. By what strange clairvoyance did he come up with the puerile allegations he leveled against Wike? Can he offer proof that Wike asked for 20 billion monthly from Fubara? How did he come up with the wild claim that Wike wants to destroy PDP, a party he helped built?

It needs to be restated here that Wike is a politician who does not beat about the bush. He says things the way he sees it, which is a clear departure from other politicians. Who does not know, that relevance is central to politics? Who does not know that the political structure is the foremost leadership recruitment and interest aggregation mechanism in politics? Wike can never be found among those who like the ostritch, bury it's head in the sand, while pretending that it's rump is not protruding. He says it the way it is, and his people love him for it. Those who want to continue to live in lies and deciet should continue to wallow in their polically induced Bipolar Disorder.



Karl Chinedu, a journalist and rights activist, wrote from Port Harcourt.

CENTURY ENERGY DEBT CRISIS: CREDITORS BRING PETITION TO WIND-UP CENTURY ENERGY SERVICES LIMITED FOR FAILURE TO PAY DEBTS

Following Century Energy’s failure and neglect to pay the debts owed to its creditors without reason and despite several efforts by creditors demanding payment of debts that have remained unpaid for over a year, the creditors now seem to have no other choice than to take out winding-up proceedings against the major oil and gas service provider.

One of such creditors, Ambrey Limited, has now taken out a suit against Century Energy before the Federal High Court in SUIT NO.: FHC/L/CP/1889/23 (a suit between Ambrey Limited v. Century Energy Service Limited). These debts were said to have accumulated as a result of outstanding sums due to the creditors for the provision of security escort services rendered to Century Energy’s chartered vessels and remain unpaid till date. Ambrey Nigeria provided security escort services to the vessel Boka Pegasus which Century chartered to attend to the FPSO Sandje Berge in the summer of 2022. Ambrey Nigeria provided excellent security services during this period and even intervened when problems occurred at Onne Port whereby a representative of Century was held against his will at the port due to unpaid promises made to local inhabitants of the area..

Meanwhile, Century Energy has been busy and quite recently has been reported to have acquired the Sendje Berge – a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel – for about $ 15 million. It seems to be the case that pursuing this acquisition has significantly impacted the ability of Century Energy to meet its debt obligations to its creditors.

These are not the best of times for a company that has just spent millions of US dollars on the Sendje Berge vessel acquisition.

Joint Press Statement of the Conscience of the Niger Delta (CND) and the Center for Energy Policy Research and Development (CEPRD).



Niger Delta Grouos Demand for the Sack of Dr Aliyu Bello Gusau, Executive Secretary PTDF Over Incompetence, Nepotism and Ethnic Bigotry.



We the members of the Conscience of the Niger Delta and the Center for Energy Policy Research and Development (CEPRD) demands the immediate sack of the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF), Dr Aliyu Belo Gusau over his overt acts of Nepotism and ethnic bigotry exhibit against the people of the Niger Delta.

In an earlier petition petition to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and signed by the convener of the group Comrade EJoint Press Statement of the Conscience of the Niger Delta (CND) and the Center for Energy Policy Research and Development (CEPRD).bipade Jackson, Dr Aliyu was accused of having a one point agenda since he assumed office as the Executive Secretary of the body, which is bigotry and nepotism against the people of the Niger Delta in favour of Northern interests.

Dr Aliyu Gussu personally presides over contract and Scholarship awards by prioritizing and citing major projects and scholarships of the PTDF in the North with northern contractors while the Niger Delta gets meager projects. To worsen the situation, the group alleged that in contract execution, Dr Gusau prioritizes payment to contracts located in the north while projects in the Niger Delta are starved of funding, the reason why PTDF projects in the area are mostly incomplete and abandoned while those in the north are speedily completed.


It is condemnable that Dr Gusau, at the twilight of the Buhari administration hurriedly connived with some northern interests and got National Executive Council approval to cite the Petroleum Training Institute in Kaduna with no drop of oil, which is being speedily executed while projects like the Skills Acquisition Center awarded over 15 years ago in Port Harcourt is abandoned with contractors handling the projects being starved of funds even after completing mile stones.

It is indeed a great wonder to us why an unqualified man from Zamfara state with no drop of oil and who staff of the agency describe as a bully and impervious to advice, will head PTDF, while there are many qualified and competent persons from the Niger Delta where the hydrocarbon is situated who can handle such portfolio effectively and ensure fairness and equity.

Infirmation available to us indicate that the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund, Dr Bello Aliyu Gusau, has in the past been accused of awarding fraudulent contracts without recourse to procedure and due process. He has also been accused of nepotism, marginalisation and diversion of agency funds into private pockets.

Since the appointment of Gusau in 2016, it had been a regime of indiscriminate awards of contracts to persons that either did not bid for contracts that the PTDF did not advertise. Gusau has abused all known procurement regulations in the agency.

Dr Gusau has turned the PTDF to an extension of his state where only his kinsmen are seen clutching files and folders from the procurement department. There are also instances where the Dr. Gusau's kinsmen recommend who gets what from the PTDF. It is such an eyesore as it stands. If urgent steps are not taken, the PTDF might end up in a not too pleasant manner considering the strategic importance of its operations in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary has formed the habit of bragging about his untouchable status. He usually brags about his connection in the corridors of power and how he also has unhindered access to the President. It is quite sad because Dr. Gusau has turned tyrant in the administration of the PTDF.

We have it on record that the Executive Secretary has been using resources from the PTDF to finance political activities in his home state. Dr. Gusau has turned to a political cash-cow for politicians from his state. From all indications, it seems the Dr Gusau has political ambition. This is largely responsible for how he has turned the PTDF into an extension of his state. He has also formed the habit of awarding scholarships to select people, mostly from his state.

With the way things are going at the PTDF, Nigeria might soon experience an embarrassment from foreign institutions where Nigerian students are on scholarship due to non-payment of tuition for

We are on the verge of experiencing an embarrassment of unimaginable proportion. You won't believe that the PTDF has not met her obligations with foreign tertiary institutions where you have our students. The ES has diverted monies meant for tuition payment as it stands.

Since the Dr. Gusau was reappointed, the PTDF has defaulted severally on these payments, not because of lack of funds, but rather the mismanagement of resources by the Executive Secretary and his cronies. We are afraid that things are not going to change anytime soon with the attitude of the Executive Secretary with regards to the resources of the organization.

Recruitment into the agency had been contracted to a firm owned by some cronies of Dr. Gusau. The Executive Secretary has succeeded in rubbishing whatever structure left in the organisation. Dr Gusau, runs the PTDF as a private company where he decides who gets what and when.

It is most unfortunate that a man could be so brazen in recklessness. He does whatever he wants with the finances of the organisation. He dishes out overinflated contracts to only his kinsmen and many other anomalies that defeat common sense.

Dr Bello Gusau is a monumental embarrassment. The general public should not be deceived by his media grandstanding. We gathered that he has recently engaged the services of a public relations firm to launder his image in the media, all in a bid to cover up for his gross abuse office.

We demand that Dr. Gusau should be sacked from office because his atrocities are innumerable, as well as despicable.


We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a man who loves equity and fairness to immediately sack Dr Aliyu Belo Gussu for being incompetent and promoting ethnicity as he has no business heading the PTDF.

We equally make bold to state here that we will not hesitate to mobilize a one million man march, including shutting down oil facilities in the region until Justice is done.


Signed
Ebipade Jackson
Converner, Conscience of the Niger Delta

Prince Joshua Ovoh.
Coordinator, Center for Energy Policy Research and Development.

AMBREY INTERNATIONAL VESSELS COME UNDER ARREST OVER MOUNTING DEBTS TO SERVICE PROVIDERS.

Following huge amount of unpaid debts running into several millions of dollars by Maritime Security giant Ambrey International to local providers and partners in Nigeria, the issue seem to have taken a turn for the worst and culminated in the arrest and detention of Ambrey vessels on the orders of a Federal High Court in Nigeria.Ambrey International whose headquarters is in Hereford England is headed by Chris Charnley.

Ambrey have been in a running battle for the past one year with Local operators who provide services to Ambrey ranging from supply of security vessel, bunkers, embarked operations etc who complained of non payment by Ambrey for services provided to Ambrey International clients such Frontline, MSC, COSCO, Maersk etc for which these clients have fully paid Ambrey and Ambrey has deliberately refused to pay the local providers with one provider alone being owed over Five Million dollars.

After several attempts to recover the debts, the matter seems to have escalated with the providers approaching a court for redress which has eventually issued an order for the arrest and detention of Ambrey vessels,and for the utilizationof the vessels to recover their debts. Ambrey International providers in other parts of West Africa like Republic of Cameroun also suffer same fate,as they are owed huge amounts in dollars for services rendered to Ambrey and not paid for after Ambrey has received payments from International clients. This method seems to have become the hallmark of Ambrey International which has pitched local suppliers against it.

Ambrey woes appeared to have began in the botched attempted sale of their business to Ocean Infinity.

Ambrey cognizant of the effect of the unpaid debts on their operations , has been making efforts to diversify provider base in Nigeria and deceive other providers who are not aware of their woes into accumulating huge debts in their operations. This providers by the terms of the court order will be in contempt of court and the law may go after them for aiding and abetting a crime.

AMBREY INTERNATIONAL VESSELS COME UNDER ARREST OVER MOUNTING DEBTS TO SERVICE PROVIDERS.

Following huge amount of unpaid debts running into several millions of dollars by Maritime Security giant Ambrey International to local providers and partners in Nigeria, the issue seem to have taken a turn for the worst and culminated in the arrest and detention of Ambrey vessels on the orders of a Federal High Court in Nigeria.Ambrey International whose headquarters is in Hereford England is headed by Chris Charnley.

Ambrey have been in a running battle for the past one year with Local operators who provide services to Ambrey ranging from supply of security vessel, bunkers, embarked operations etc who complained of non payment by Ambrey for services provided to Ambrey International clients such Frontline, MSC, COSCO, Maersk etc for which these clients have fully paid Ambrey and Ambrey has deliberately refused to pay the local providers with one provider alone being owed over Five Million dollars.

After several attempts to recover the debts, the matter seems to have escalated with the providers approaching a court for redress which has eventually issued an order for the arrest and detention of Ambrey vessels,and for the utilizationof the vessels to recover their debts. Ambrey International providers in other parts of West Africa like Republic of Cameroun also suffer same fate,as they are owed huge amounts in dollars for services rendered to Ambrey and not paid for after Ambrey has received payments from International clients. This method seems to have become the hallmark of Ambrey International which has pitched local suppliers against it.

Ambrey woes appeared to have began in the botched attempted sale of their business to Ocean Infinity.

Ambrey cognizant of the effect of the unpaid debts on their operations , has been making efforts to diversify provider base in Nigeria and deceive other providers who are not aware of their woes into accumulating huge debts in their operations. This providers by the terms of the court order will be in contempt of court and the law may go after them for aiding and abetting a crime.

Niger Delta Solidarity Movement (NDSM)
22 Ibeto Road, Old Port Harcourt Town,
Port Harcourt, Rivers State.


Media Attacks on Wike: Chidi Amuta, Tunde Olusunle Are Sponsored Media Hatchet Men of Rotimi Amaechi.


Nigerian award winning writer and wordsmith, Chinua Achebe in one of his seminal works, admonished us not to be carried away, each time we see, Nwanza the proverbial bird, strutting and dancing, because on a closer look, we will definitely see the drummer, who is ultimately responsible for the intemperate dance steps of the little bird.



This is the appropriate prism that should be applied to any Interrogation of the infantile drivel authored by Tunde Olusunle, in a failed attempt to drag the amiable and eminent ex-governor of Rivers State, Chief Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, CFR, GSSRS, into the cesspool of adversarial and toxic politics, that he and his masters wallow in.





Aside from the name dropping by Tunde Olusunle, in a vainglorious attempt to boost his pedigree as a journalist, all he succeeded in achieving was to let slip, the mortal dread and aversion that he shares with his co-travelers, on the persona of Chief Barr. Wike. The writer who claims to be a renowned poet, without a single literary work or award top his name, choose to dance naked in an orgy of half- truths and hate inspired innuendoes. Tunde Olasunle and his coterie of Wikephobes, dazed by the stellar performance of Wike in the national political space, wallow and revel in self- pity and uncoordinated war of attrition.



Of course there is no need to rehash or reply to the cacophony of mistruths, disinformation and panegyrics concocted by Amuta and Olusunle in their desperate effort to pull Wike down and cause disaffection between the generalissimo and his peers and associates. Thisis here stock in trade.



In the case of Olusunle, inspite of his efforts to cloak his jaundiced narrative with the toga of intellectualism, he still came out as a hack writer, whose only motivation is to pour venom on any person that disagrees with or catches the fancy of his master Rotimi Amaechi.



Tunde Olusunle's diatribe against Chief Barr. Wike only exposed the fact that he was merely playing his masters' voice. It is not a secret that Tunde Olusunle is hack writer in the employ of former Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. Yes, Amaechi and Olusunle go way back through Chidi Amuta and Yemi Ogunbiyi. This fact was acknowledged by Tunde Olusunle himself when he name dropped Yemi Ogunbiyi and Chidi Amuta as his comrades- in-infamy and merchants of falsehood, in the employ of the politically eclipsed former Minister of Transportation.



It is actually a mystery that out of all the newsworthy events that has been playing out, since May 29th, the only thing that catches the fancy of Tunde Olusunle, is Nyesom Wike. Why you may ask? Because he was ordered to do so by his patron and master, Rotimi Amaechi.



Tunde Olusunle and his co-travelers are agent provocateurs sponsored by Amaechi to denigrate Wike and poison the minds of well-meaning Nigerians, who admire Wike and understand his tremendous contributions in the Victory of President Bola Tinubu and the APC at the center. Can they swear that Amaechi didn’t sponsor their diatribe against Wike?



It is not a coincidence, that just as Chidi Amuta unleashed his censorious orgy, in an attempt to repudiate Wike’s acceptability, Tunde Olusunle’s lackluster echo will surface in The Comet, in an omnibus endorsement of a charade franchised and sponsored by Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. The crux of the whole media lynching orchestrated by Amaechi through his minions, Amuta and Olusunle, is the fear that Wike’s politics of inclusion and accommodation is propelling him to greater heights, while on the contrary their masters political career has sunk and hit crush depth like the Titanic.



The duo of Amuta and Olusunle are angry and afraid that they may have lost their meal ticket with Amaechi's loss to Tinubu in the APC Presidential primaries, and the now total annihilation of Rotimi Amaechi on the home front by Nyesom Wike, who has proved much more politically adept than the likes of Amaechi and his co travellers.



Wike's track record of success as governor of Rivers state and a political colossus in the just concluded presidential elections, continues to endear him to the heart of Nigerians, not just only Rivers people.





For Rivers people, who have gotten tired of seeing their former governors play second fiddle in the national political canvas, the ascension of Wike, as the undisputed political leader of Rivers people and the South-South indeed is a tonic that no attempt to misdirect the narrative will work.





Rivers people have tried Amaechi's toxic brand and all it got for our people was divisive politics, unending wrangling and not even a single project to show for his eight years of ministerial appointment. We have chosen a NEW paradigm and Wike is our champion.



Politics is a game of give and take. Rivers people bouyed on by Chief Barr. Wike gave their all to ensure the emergence of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, and nothing will be too much to compensate our people for our efforts. Rivers people needs a leader that will not be carried away in Abuja, only returning occasionally to sow discord and chaos in the state. Wike will put the interest of Rivers state first above self-interest.


Signed
Tekena Donkemezuo
Coordinator

Ameka Ibezi Ukpeliede
Secretary

Nwuche Urges Massive Votes For PDP

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Hon Prince Chibudom Nwuche has called on the People of Ochigba Community in Ahoada East local government Area of Rivers State to cast all their votes for the Peoples Democratic Party in the March 18 Governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Speaking when he addressed the people at the community hall, Nwuche thanked them for their conduct and turn out during the February 25th presidential and National Assembly elections and for voting according to the directive of the State PDP and urged them to come out in their numbers with their PVCs come March 18 to vote all PDP candidates. This according to Nwuche, is a panacea to attract more development to the community and also guarantee employment and empowerment opportunities for indigenes of the community, noting that Rivers state under Barr Nyesom Wike has witnessed tremendous developments in terms of infrastructure and human capacity development across all the local governments and ethnic groups, especially the Edeoha/Ikata/Ochigba road that was done by the Wike administration and the only way to appreciate and reciprocate the good gestures of the governor is by voting for PDP, assuring them that a victory for PDP will attract more developments to the community under Siminialayi Fubara as governor.

In his speech the paramount ruler of the community Chief Goodluck Oloko thanked Hon Nwuche for the purposeful and exemplary leadership he has provided in the community especially his swift response to issues in the community that requires his attention. Chief Oloko particularly commended Nwuche for his intervention during the 2022 flood that ravaged the area by promptly sending food and other relief materials and boats used to evacuate people from the community, emphasizing that one of the ways the community will repay Nwuche is by obeying 100% his directives which he assured will be adhered to.

In their separate speeches the Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman Mr Anele Ogechi, Youth Leader Mr Uzhieyeka Oloko, Women Leader Mrs Florence Odukwu, PDP Leader in the community Architect Chris Enwudor all commended Nwuche for his love and concern for the community and assured that the community has unanimously agreed to give all their votes to PDP.

PRESS RELEASE


RIVERS STATE ELECTION CANNOT STAND UP TO ANY ACCEPTABLE BEST PRACTICE. IT MUST BE CANCELLED.


As most of us predicted, the presidential election held in Rivers state on Saturday, 25th February, 2023 had failed every acceptable Democratic standard and therefore must be cancelled.

The conduct of the officials of the election management body, INEC, was at most abysmally embarrassing and unearthical.

As the General Elections approached, Nigerians were expectant of a transparent Election following the Electoral Act and the introduction of BVAS Machine.

Generally, in Rivers State, the Election was conducted fairly. However , the collated results of the Polling Units could not be transmitted to the INEC Portal following the deliberate shut down of the INEC Saver at that critical stage of concluding the most important process of the exercise.

The results being announced so far cannot be a true reflection of the wishes of Rivers people and proves beyond every reasonable doubt that INEC officials were compromised and appears to be working for the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who had variously boasted that he had INEC in his pocket.

At this point, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and his agencies invaded the centers with their bags of hard currencies and hijacked the sensitive materials to their hideouts. The consequence is that, the already collated results have been mutilated, and no longer represent the voice of the electorates.


Nothing butresses this fact like the case of Gokana LGA where two sets of results were announced within hours of each other.

All across the state we are confronted with the same sickening electoral heist pertratec by Gov. Wike and his agents.

Weeks to the election date, we were confronted with violent attacks on politicians in the state, especially those perceived to be opposed to Governor Nyesom Wike.

I had earlier expressed worry at the audacity of those carrying out the attacks without any form of condemnation from Governor Wike, who swore on oath to protect lives and property in the State.

In the past one week Rivers people have been attacked, harassed, harmed and their residences bombed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) without a whimper of reservations from the State Government.

Tears, sorrows and blood have been the hallmark of activities trailing the political life of the governor, who relishes in crude politics over ideas and decency.

On Thursday, Feb 23rd, 2023, explosives were detonoted at the Etche residence of Hon Charles Anyanwu, the APC candidate for House of Assembly. Early in the morning on Friday, the houses of Chief Glory Emeh and Dr Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja respectively, both of them pro-Atiku PDP politicians were dynamited. Hon Gabriel Pidomson, another pro-Atiku PDP politician was also harassed by thugs suspected to be loyal to Wike.

Same day, prominent Labour Party leaders in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas were harassed and intimidated. Most of the attack on labour leaders were by known local government functionaries who operated without let.

I want to remind Governor Wike that there will always be his day in the court of Rivers’ people, where he would be made to answer for all the atrocities that happened during his term as governor of Rivers State.

Our forefathers had a dream of a great State, where ideas, decency, liberty and industry would be the benchmark of poilical engagments but we have been unfortunate with the present governor, who is anything but responsible and graceful.

It is a shame that we have such a scenario where a sitting governor would declare his fellow Rivers people enemies of the state and even go ahead to threaten them of dire consequences, hence no surprises of what is being played out today.


One thing is for sure, a day of reckoning will come for Wike and his cohorts. No amount of injustice meted on Rivers people will go unpunished, the Governor will be made to answer for all the charges when the time comes.

It is on this premise that I call on the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to outrightly cancel the Rivers State results and call for a fresh election in the State.

I also call on Rivers people not to be cowed or feel dejected by the machinations of evil people; this State belongs to all of us and no one man is more Rivers than any of us. We shall resist this dangerous trend and God being on our side, we shall conquer.

I urge Rivers people to persevere and remain resolute in their quest to bring Gov. Wike to justice by masively rejecting Siminialayi Fubara on March 11th.

We must also not relent until this electoral heist and usurpation of our mandates ochestrated by Gov Wike and his willing accomplices in the Rivers INEC offices is overturned and the real result announced.



Signed


Pastor Warigbani Ezekiel

27/02/2023

CORRIGENDUM

During the flagoff of the Ogbo/Ihugbogo road project being executed by our company by his excellency Gov Nyesom Nyesom Wike on the 31st of December 2022, one of our project engineers mistakenly referred to Chibudom Nwuche as our chairman.

This is incorrect as Nwuche is neither on our board/ management nor is he our chairman.We are however appreciative of his positive role in the harmonious relationship we enjoy with the Ekpeye people.

We sincerely apologise to him for the mistake and the embarrassment it may have caused him.

Engr Stanley Onyeneke
COREN, MNSE ,MNICE

For Management

Interglobal Technologies Limited

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION

PRESS RELEASE
INEC decided that they will not use University Lecturers as returning officers for 2023 Election. INEC will use only their staff for the exercise.

INEC today Inaugurated the Committee for NATIONAL SITUATION ROOM AND COLLATION CENTRE FOR THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTION

1. Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, National Commissioner - Chairperson
2. Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, National Commissioner - Member
3. Barr. Festus Okoye, National Commissioner - Member
4. Director, Electoral Operations - Member
5. Director, ICT - Member
6. Director, Planning and Monitoring - Member
7. Director, Security - Member
8. Director, Election & Party Monitoring - Member
9. Director, International Cooperation & Protocol – Member
10. Director, Research – Member
11. Director, Health Services – Member
12. Director, Estate, Works and Transport – Member
13. Chief Technical Adviser to the Chairman – Member
14. Special Adviser to the Chairman – Member
15. Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman – Member
16. Director, Commission Secretariat – Member/Secretary

The Situation Room and Collation Centre Committee was inaugurated by the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who charged it to commence work in earnest and to discharge its responsibilities diligently.

Festus Okoye Esq.
National Commissioner & Chairman
Information and Voter Education Committee
Thursday 5th January 2023
[1/7, 10:43 PM] +234 806 429 9137: THIS IS WHAT THE NEW ELECTORAL LAW SAYS ON OUR NEXT ELECTIONS*:

1. No manual accreditation.

2. No use of incident forms.

3. All accreditation is electronic.

4. Accreditation is Bimodal meaning facial recognition and finger printing.

5. No pre-election cases after conclusion of Elections..

6. No election cases after swearing into office of the winner.

7. All results must be uploaded to INEC official website at the polling units before taking it to ward, constituency, LGA or state collation centers.

8. If the number of votes cast is more than the accredited voters the polling unit result is cancelled.

9. No more agreement between parties to share the remaining ballot papers that were not used.

10. No more massive thump printing and stuffing of ballot boxes. If you like go and steal ballot boxes you are wasting your time. You cannot change the result.

The people's votes are counting now. If you didn't serve the people well when in public office or you are not popular in your political locality, it is advisable to save your money because they will collect your money and vote against you.

End of ballots snatching has come to stay in Nigeria. With the amendment of Nigeria Electoral Act, our votes now counts.

Please share this information in other platforms you are added for wider coverage.

Rights Group Demand Suspension of Operations License of Green Energy International





A human rights group in Nigeria, Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), has petitioned the National Security Adviser to the president and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, demanding that the operating license issued to an oil company, Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) be temporarily suspended. The rights group in the petition for an investigation into the activities of Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) and it's operations in Andoni Local Government Area and the serial use of Nigerian military to abuse the rights of citizens of the host communities..





The group in the petition signed by its South South Zonal chairman, Karl Chinedu Uchegbu, equally accused Green Energy international Limited breaching relevant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).



The petition is reproduced below:







Civil Liberties Organisation

South South Zone

No. 6 Abuja Lane, Off Wogu Street, D/Line

Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Tell: 08030991294





11th October, 2022.











The National Security Adviser

To the President and Commander

In Chief of the Armed Forces

Of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Three Arms Zone,





Sir,

Appeal for your urgent intervention over the brazen breach of the Petroleum Industry Act and other conducts likely to cause a breach of peace in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, by Green Energy International Limited.



Permit us to write directly to you to bring to your notice, conducts and activities likely to escalate the already tensed environment in the Niger Delta, by Green Energy International Limited (GEIL).



We are in receipt of a petition by the four communities of Asukoyet, Asukama, Ayama Ekede and Ugama Ekede, all host communities of Green Energy International Limited, in Andoni LGA of Rivers State, protesting the brazen disregard to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the communities and Green Energy International Limited over modalities for seting up the Board of Trustees for the Host Communities of Green Energy-Lek Oil Development Trust Fund ( HCGLDTF), and the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).



It may interest you to know that after years of persistent struggle and agitations by the host communities, occasioning several protests, GEIL finally acceded, under pressure from the state government, to constitute the Board of Trustees of HCGLDTF, with the imposition of Asuk, Nathan Sampson as chairman of the board, against the decision of the host communities and the state government who intervened to restore peace. It may also interest you to note that the said Asuk Nathan Sampson has culmulatively served for 7 years as the board secretary, against the community that nobody can serve for more than 5 years.



But after setting up the Board, it took years of footdragging and several protests by the host communities before the Board was inaugurated by GEIL.



Now GEIL has gone back to it's bag of tricks again to truncate the functioning of the board of trustees, acting in cahhots with Chief Gad Harry Ekpirikpo, a local benefit captor and former chairman of the board and Nathan Sampson Asuk, HRH David Serena Dokubo Spiff and Rear Admiral Emmanuel G. Ofik (rtd)





Against the provisions of the MOU signed by the communities with GEIL on mode of selection of members of the board and the PIA on community governance structures, GEIL with the active connivance of Chief Gad Harry, has breached surreptitiously with the removal of the following from the board, against the wishes of the communities who selected them to represent them in board:



1.Chief Iyeoron Brown Nteogwuile (JP)

2. Samuel Naaman Wilcox

3. Chief Obianyi O. Urutuk

4. Iko I. Ubonikakita

5. Wilson Asuk





Those selected by the communities are:

1. Asukoyet Community



a) Ms. Nice Abbey

b) Dr. Meeting E. Amakiri

c) Mr. Wilson Asuk



2. Asukama Community

a) Chief Iyeoron Brown Nteogwuile (JP)

b) Mr. Mkpaofiek Adolphus Luke

c) Mrs. Patience U. Asuk



3. Ayama Ekede

a) Chief Obianyi O. Urutuk

b) Mr. Iko Ijok Ubonikakita

c) Mrs. Douglas Adlina Faah



4. Ugama Ekede

a) Mr. Samuel Naaman Wilcox

b) Mr. Paul Lot Johnson

c) Barr. Owajiowor Gogo





There is the obvious need to transform in to the PIA as a Board of trustee with the trustees already nominated by the communities. Curiously, Nathan Sampson Asuk, who GEIL is insisting on imposing on the board as the chairman, was not nominated by the Community. In line with international best practices, the BoT should be allowed to choose their chairman, while other issues like the Metrics and single board character should be addressed by GEIL.



It is equally important to note that while Nathan Sampson Asuk was the Secretary of the first Board, which lasted for 7years instead of 5years,he floated a company known as Emikan Nig. Limited which he is a signatory to its account, and used it to obtain surveillance contract from GEIL, which contract has been running for 7years now: he is the one GEIL is bent on imposing as Chairman of new Board under the current PIA regime as it did under last phase MoU.



We believe that the activities of GEIL and it's local agents are calculated to plunge the host communities into another round of chaos and anarchy and further escalate the simmering tensions in the Niger Delta, which may likely affect the overall petroleum production capacity of the country.





It is sad and strange that GEIL will trample on extant Nigerian laws and operate with impunity, given the sensitive position of oil production to the nations economy and the consequences of such actions in the not too distant past in the Niger Delta.





We want to put it on notice that you should hold GEIL, Chief Gad Harry Ekpirikpo and Nathan Sampson Asuk, HRH David Serena Dokibo Spiff and Rear Admiral Emmanuel G. Ofik(rtd) responsible for any breach of public peace in the said four host communities.



Our prayers

1. That your good offices in line with it's mandate to protect the national security and interests of Nigeria, investigate Green Energy International Limited (GEIL) and it's operations in Andoni Local Government Area and the serial use of Nigerian military to abuse the rights of citizens of the host communities.





2. To temporarily suspend the production license of GEIL as it's activities have become inimical to the national interest.



3. To direct the relevant agencies, upon conclusion of investigations to prosecute the Directors of GEIL, Chief Gad Harry and Nathan Sampson Asuk, HRH Serena Dokubo Spiff and Rear Admiral Emmanuel G. Ofik(rtd) for violently and deliberately breaching the PIA and engaging in conducts likely to plunge the Niger Delta region into another round of crisis and violence.





We are confident that you will act to protect the national interest of Nigeria and also avert a potential crisis in the host communities of Asukoyet, Asukama, Ayama Ekede and Ugama Ekede.



Signed

Sir (Hon) Karl Chinedu Uchegbu

Chairman

South South Zone



C.C

1. The Executive Secretary

Nigerian Upstreem Petroleum Regulatory Commission,

7 Sylvester Ugoh Crescent

Off Obafemi Awlowo Way, Jabi District

Abuja.







2. The Director General

Department of State Services



3. The Inspector General of Police



4. Chairman Host Communities Committee

House of Representatives.

Oil Theft; Group Petitions National Security Adviser, accuse youth president of plans to unleash mayhem in Ekpeyeland

...As Soldiers Apprehend pipeline Vandals and illegal bunkerers.

A group, the Niger Delta Situation Room has accused the youth president of Igbuduya community, Ifeanyi Madu of planning to unleash mayhem in Ekpeyeland as a cover-up for his illegal oil bunkering activities.

The group in a petition to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and signed by Alvin Dogu, a program officer, disclosed that the youth president has been sponsoring incessent protests in the area, one of which took place on Wednesday, 21st September, along the busy East/West road, ostensibly blackmailing an oil company operating in the area, to suspend the operations of a surveillance team operating in the area.


According to the group, "Igbuduya Youth Assembly blocked and shutdown the Okogbe axis of the East West Road, Ahoada West LGA of Rivers State in protest against a NAOC surveillance contractor. The Youths during the protest threatened to blow and shut down all AGIP oil installations in the area if AGIP does not listen to their demands to suspend the operations of pipeline surveillance team engaged by the oil company to safeguard it's pipelines.


The Igbuduya youths under the manipulation of Ifeanyi Madu, had embarked on similar protest last week and gave a one week ultimatum to NAOC to immediately withdraw a pipeline surveillance contractor engaged by the oil company.

The group revealed that the surveillance team has been a torn in the flesh of the illegal oil bunkerers in the area.


The group lamented that the activities of the youth president has impacted negatively on the environment and eco system of the area. According to the petition, " the activities of the oil bunkerers has devastated the environment in Ekpeyeland. The air is so polluted that the heavy smell of benzene and other cancerous gasses, suffocates the entireland. Rivers have been polluted, denying the people of access to drinking water and destroying aquatic life. Farmlands have been polluted.."

In a related development, soldiers of the Nigerian Army has arrested a gang of pipeline Vandals and illegal oil bunkerers on Wednesday, 21st Sept, 2022. The gang which specializes in bursting oil pipelines and compromising oil well heads, were caught red handed while siphoning crude oil from an oil pipe and also illegally refinning the stolen crude oil.

Incidentally, while the protest was going on, David Madu, a younger brother to the Igbuduya Youth President, Ifeanyi Madu, was among the arrested oil thieved arrested by the army, at a separate location. Sources in the area disclosed that the youth president and his brother are notorious illegal oil bunkerers.

Reacting to the petition by the Niger Delta Situation Room, which was copied to the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), the south south zonal chairman of the CLO, Karl Chinedu Uchegbu, regreted that the exulted position of youth president and community leaders are steadily being infiltrated by criminal elements in the communities.

The CLO boss, warned that the nexus between oil Theft and community leadership structure portends a serious danger to peace and security in the communities.

He called on the security agencies to beam their searchlight on the area and to fish out those who are hiding under the cover of youth organisations to engage in criminal acts

It would be recalled that recently, the activities of oil bunkerers and cult groups led to the death of two persons and properties destroyed on Okogbe Community in Ahoada West LGA of Rivers state.

A group within the Rivers State Chapter of the ruling People's Democratic Party, PDP, the Wike Solidarity movement, WSM, has dismissed the purpoted defection of Prince Sudor Nwiyor from the PDP, as a non issue and a non event.

The group in a statement signed by the Committee of LGA Cordinators, noted that Prince Nwiyor was an appointee of the Organisation, and therefore lacked the capacity to take decisions that could affect the entire organisation.

.The group further stated that Prince Nwiyor had no electoral value and was incapable of exercising any iota of influence both within and outside the PDP

The statement is reproduced below:

Disregard Prince Sudor Nwiyor's Bogus Claims.

Our attention has been drawn to a statement by Prince Sudor Nwiyor, purporting to have defected from the People's Democratic Party, PDP. While as an individual, Prince Nwiyor is free to do as he pleases with himself, we find it most objectionable and the height of duplicity for him to claim that he has defected with the ranks and file of the Wike Solidarity Movement, WSM, especially, the local government coordinators.

For record purposes, Prince Nwiyor, is an appointee as the Director General of WSM and therefore decisions affecting the entire organisation, are way above and beyond his competence.

The reasons given by Prince Nwiyor for his defection are not only laughable, but lends credence to his duplicity. For instance, he cannot talk about unfair treatment or "poor reward system', whatever he means by that. It is on record that the Governor has empowered WSM as a group twice, but it was grossly mismanaged and so many coordinators were denied the opportunity of benefiting from the employment due to greed and selfish interest by the DG Prince Sudor Nwiyor.

The few coordinators who benefited from the employment scheme, were forced to remit 70% of their emoluments to him. Therefore he cannot talk about unfair treatment or "poor reward system " when he did not treat our members fairly.

As an appointee of WSM, his decision to leave the PDP is insignificant, because he has no electoral value, as non of the coordinators of the 23 local government left with him.

The LGA coordinators has totally reaffirmed their support to His Excellency Chief Barr E.N Wike and remain resolute to carry out his directives, as it concerns our great party

We wish to reassure our teeming supporters, all lovers of WSM and the entire Rivers PDP, that the exit of Prince Nwiyor is a non event and a non issue.

Signed

WSM Local Government Coordinators

Re; De Norsemen Kclub International, Rivers State Chapter, Sacks Exco.

I write to refute an earlier publication made under my signature in a social media platform, on Issues bordering on the leadership of my Organisation, De Norsemen Kclub Incorporated, Rivers State Chapter.

While the intention was meant to draw attention to some disagreements I had with the leadership, it was never my objective to tarnish the image and character of my Brother, Prince Nsirim, who I hold in very high esteem.

Since the publication I have been innundated with calls and I eqaully understand that the import of what I said has been blown out of proportion by persons outside our organisation.

I wish to categorically state here that Prince Nsirim is an honest, transparent, reputable hard working young man.

He has impacted positively in every endeavour that has come his way. He is a worthy son of Rivers state, who has distinguished himself in both capacity and character.

I regret that my earlier publication was misconstrued to inpugn on his character, instead of the contestation of ideas and principles it was meant to be .

Signed
Bright Ekweme

The Rivers State chapter of De Norsemen Kclub Incorporated has dissolved its executive council led by Prince Nsirim. UIn a statement issued by the organization and released to the media in Port Harcourt, the kclub stated that, “at an emergency Consultative meeting of key stakeholders and members of De Norsemen Kclub Rivers chapter, held on Saturday 30th July 2022, it was resolved that following serial and relentless breaching of the constitution of the Organisation, as well as trampling and scant regards to the ethics and traditions of the Organisation, the Prince Nsirim led state executive council has been dissolved”.

Continuing the statement declared, “In the same spirit, a new state executive council under the leadership of Bright Ekweme, as the Acting Sailing Skipper, has been appointed to pilot the affairs of the Organisation, pending when elections will be organized in due course”

Recall that in recent times the organization has been tackling the ousted exco led by Prince Nsirim over his overt politicization of the organization, following his endorsement of candidates different political parties against the norms of the organization.

The statements reads as follows.

Press Statement.

This is to notify the general public, that at an emergency Consultative meeting of key stakeholders and members of De Norsemen Kclub Rivers chapter, held on Saturday 30th July 2022, it was resolved that following serial and relentless breaching of the constitution of the Organisation, as well as trampling and scant regards to the ethics and traditions of the Organisation, the Prince Nsirim led state executive council has been dissolved.

It would be recalled that the ousted exco, being a product of a scandalous and manipulated interpretation of the constitution of De Norsemen Kclub Incorporated, DNKI, elavated extra-constitutional policies and activities as the new norm.

For instance, against extant financial guidelines and regulations, serial withdrawals were made on the kclubs accounts, without approval. Repeated reminders from congress were ignored.

In a most bizarre and embarrassing manner, the time worn tradition of the Organisation, to be non-partisan and stay above the political fray, given that the Organisation is a collective of all the different shades and views across the political spectrum in Rivers state. The ousted exco shamelessly merchandized the organization’s name, by serially endorsing candidates of political parties publicly and on social media, for financial considerations.

Relying on brute force and threats of violence, the ousted exco cowed members into subservience, while trampling on the rights of members and the privileges of the elders. Impunity, tyranny, gross abuse of powers became the new governance model, in an Organization that traces the right to participation and openness to it’s origins.

In a most atrocious abuse of the kclubs’ constitution, the Prince Nsirim led exco, on Thursday 28 July, surreptitiously and unilaterally dissolved the executive council of the Emohua Local Govt. chapter of De Norsemen Kclub, in clear breach of relevant sections of the constitution.

In an orchestrated attempt to balkanize and divide the Kclub along partisan lines, members identified as being card carrying members of other political parties, outside the preferred one to Prince Nsirim, are singled out and routinely humiliated and embarrassed. A case in point was at Emohua LGA, where during his purported attempt to dissolve the chaper Exco, he openly called out for members of a particular political party to identify them. When this was done he pilloried and excoriated the rest for not being members of his preferred political party, and promptly announced that he has dissolved the sitting exco and announced his political stooges as the new exco!

The infractions of the ousted exco are just too numerous to mention.

It is therefore in the spirit of the kclubs traditions and norms, that of not keeping silent and acquiescing to injustice, that the Prince Nsirim led Executive Council has been dissolved.

In the same spirit, a new state executive council under the leadership of Bright Ekweme, as the Acting Sailing Skipper, has been appointed to pilot the affairs of the Organization, pending when elections will be organized in due course.

All members of De Norsemen Kclub Incorporated, Rivers State Chapter, are hereby directed to abide by the new order.

No effort will be spared to restore the integrity and time worn reputation of the kclub. De Norsemen Kclub remains a non partisan, non-profit Organisation geared towards service to humanity.

The general public is hereby advised not to have dealings with the ousted Prince Nsirim led Exco.

Long Live Rivers State

Long Live DNKI.

Signed

Bright Ekweme

Rivers Patriotic Forum
76, Pipeline Road, Eneka,Port Harcourt
Rivers State

Email; riverspatriots@gmail.com
Twitter: @ForumRivers


Restoring the Rivers Dream

There was a dream that propelled the fathers of Rivers State in their agitation, for the creation of Rivers State. The reason for the struggle for the creation of a Rivers State was to allay their fears of marginalization, promote development and support the proper identification of the Rivers People as a distinct group in the former Eastern Region of Nigeria.

It was a dream anchored on the egalitarianism of our fore fathers, which was shaped by their early dealings with the colonialists on near equal terms. The Rivers dream never envisaged a land where fear, want and totalitarian instincts will ever be tolerated. On 27th May 1967, the dream came through. Rivers State was created with Port Harcourt as the State capital.



From the very beginning, even under a military appointed ruler, the culture of political tolerance, popular participation, consultations and respect for opposing views was planted and nourished. Under this atmosphere, Rivers state grew to become the envy of all earning it the well deserved name of the “Garden City”. Rivers State, was the Venice of Nigeria, surrounded by Rivers and Seas, a God given State rich in human, mineral and natural resources.





The young military administrator mobilized a broad consensus of the best and the brightest, gathering Rivers men and women together to deliver governance and services to the people. To date the footprints of that ’Golden Era’ are still visible for all. The state secretariat and Point Block building remain iconic reminders of that era. Rapid industrialization, created jobs and opportunities for our teeming youths, while positioning Rivers state as a prime destination, for investment capital. State owned industries like PABOD Breweries, BEWAC Automobile Products, Nigeria Ship builders APEX (EN) Amalgamated Distilleries, West African Glass Industry, Water Glass Boat Yard, Port Harcourt Flower Mills, Aluminum Technology Products, First Aluminum, Eastern Enermel Ware, Nigerian Engineering Work. In the hospitality Industry, we had Hotel Presidential, Delta Hotel, Olypia Hotel, Air Port Hotel, while commercial businesses like Rivers Transport Company, PABOD Supplies Limited, and Financial Institutions like Pan African Bank, competed with private concerns like multinational companies such as Michelleti Tires, Shell Petroleum, Agip, Texaco, Elf Nigeria, Risonpalm, PABOD Breweries, United African Company (UAC), Glass Industry, Alcon Aluminium, etc.



In the agro-industrial sector, Rivers State invested heavily in the oil palm project, school to-land and the Delta Rubber Company. Records showed that the oil palm industry contributed greatly to the economic development of Rivers State. In the 1990s, the Risonpalm project had 56,000 hectares of fully developed palm plantation, and produces 4 litres of palm oil sold at N1,600 and generates income of about N19 million per month. The government-owned palm oil industry created over 8,000 jobs in the state. While the Rivers State school-to-land which occupied 6,343 hectares of land, created over 600 direct jobs with income generation of about N1.6m per month. It is also on record that the Rivers State Delta Rubber Company was the best in the country in the 80s and 90s. It occupied about 3,770 hectares of land, and created employment for over 320 employees and achieved an annual turnover of N15 million.



Today what is left of the State owned industries are: Presidential Hotel, PABOD Building (SPAR), PABOD Breweries and very few others. In concrete terms, over 95% of industries owned and managed by Rivers State government in the 70s and 80s are now moribund, with the attendant socio/economic implication of; high youth unemployment, insecurity, exchange rate volatility, slow growth, high ination, etc.



The question that agitates the mind logically must be, how did Rivers state miss it? How did this glorious era slip from our fingers? We do not need to look far. Even with the deleterious consequences of military, Rivers State was poised and willing to bounce back at the advent of civil democratic rule. But something was amiss. A strange political culture had invaded the tranquility of Rivers political landscape. It was a toxic brand of politics that negated and eclipsed the culture of political tolerance and respect for opposing views and consultation. This toxic political environment would not have allowed a young Harold Dappa Biriye to contest election and defeat his father in a parliamentary election in different parties, while living in the same building.



Under the new political culture the leader knows it all and the citizenry are reduced to slavish acquiescence that has been captured by the contemporary slogan of “HE LEADS; WE FOLLOW”. The deification of leadership has been elevated to an art form, while sycophantic adulation has emerged as a new source of livelihood for our teeming youths, fathers and mothers.


A strange culture of silence and cowering before power holds our dear state, the state that produced the likes of Chief P.G Warmate, Chief Dappa Biriye, Chief Melford Okilo, His Royal Majesty Francis Alagoa Mingi X of Nembe, Chief Godfrey Kio Jaja Amachree, Reverend E.T Dimiari, Chief Emanuel Aguma, Chief Thom Manuel, Chief Napoleon Graham Douglas, Chief Opuogulaya, and Mr. Ken Sarowiwa etc, in a vice grip. The Rivers culture of political boldness, egalitarianism, and fair mindedness pales and shrinks in the face of the new era of impunity, lack of inclusiveness, divisiveness and undemocratic conducts.



Today those who are mandated to speak for us in the State House of Assembly have absconded from their assigned responsibility. Our traditional rulers, after serial shabby treatments, have found wisdom in keeping their own counsel. The clergy have fared no better.



In a most absurd manipulation of the political system, Rivers sons and daughters, who have done well in various endeavors and professions, has been shut out of the political system, while an army of hangers-on, cronies, business partners and hailers have been handed the key to the throne room to rule against the wishes of the citizenry, who are desirous of credible and competent alternatives. The delegate primaries of most of the parties were shams and cannot stand up to any test of democratic standards. It is indeed a very sorry state.



A reflection on the goals and aspirations of our Founding Fathers will show how far we have deviated from the lofty plans and development agenda they left for us. But we cannot all sit back and wring our hands or throw up our hands in despair. History and posterity will not forgive us. It is time to stand up and be counted. We have taken the decision to pick up the gauntlet, to begin the process of restoring our dear state to the dreams of our founding fathers. We have to elevate politics in Rivers State to the noble art it has always been and is. We have not embarked on this course because it is easy, but because “realizing the Rivers dream” of our fathers is still possible. It is time to plan for and activate the processes that will secure our future as a united People with one goal and one destiny..





We invite all Rivers men and women to join us in this course, not just for today but for our children and children’s Children.


Signed.

Moses Fabian Urang


Karl Chinedu Uchegbu

The people of Rundele Community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State has been warned to be wary of the antics of one Chief Damian Ejiowhor, who claims to be the Eze Newe-eli Rundele, as the Eze Newe-eli Rundele stool is presently before the Isiokpo High Court and the Court of Appeal in Rivers State, Port Harcourt.

A disclaimer issued on behalf of the people of Rundele by Eze Ogbuagu Great Owhor, reads; “I am calling the people of Rundele and Rivers state to disregard the parading of one Damian Ejiowhor, who claims to be the Eze Newe-eli Rundele. Eze Newe-Eli Rundele stool is at the Isiopko High Court and the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt. So the false claim that Damian Ejiowhor is parading himself around the entire Rivers State, that he is the Eze Newe-Eli is false. I am using this medium to notify the entire Rundele and Rivers State, that Damian Ejiowhor is not the Eze Newe-Eli Rundele, as I Eze Ogbuagu Great Nyeche Owhor, remains the Eze Newe-Eli the Fifth”.



Continuing the statement disclosed, “Damian Ejiowohors’ claim is a false claim as the Rivers state government has been served, the Attorney General has been served, the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Local Government has been served and Damian Njiowhor has equally been served in respect of the on-going case, at Isiokpo High Court. So please disregard any impersonation by Damian Njiowhor regarding the stool of Nye Newe-Eli Rundele.

Speaking further, Eze Ogbuagu Great Nyeche Owhor said that the Ogbolo Royal Stool is not for sale, but remains the Rundele community Royal Stool, that has been in existence for over Four Hundred Years in Rundele Community.



He said, “the Royal Stool was established by Eze Ogbolo the 1st my Great Grat Grand Father, one of the fou ders of Rundele Community. I am using this opportunity to call Rundele and the entire Rivers people in General, to disregard the impersonation of Damina Azubuik Ejiowhor, who is parading himself as the Eze Nyewe-Eli Rundele as false and shouldn’t be taken seriously”.

Joseph Okon:

Wike and burden of morality


It is not a subject of conjecture but certitude that the Governor of Oil-rich Rivers State, His Excellency Ezenwo Nyesom Wike will leave office on the 29th of May 2023. It is also no longer news that the governor is struggling to succeed the President Muhammadu Buhari as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

However, Wike being of the Peoples Democratic Party, the leading opposition political party, analysts believe he has to first win his party’s ticket before squaring up with his opponent from the All Progressives Congress.

But, the issue of morality has become a very huge burden for the governor and members of Rivers State chapter of the People Democratic Party, where speculation is strife that Wike is scheming to impose the current Accountant General in his administration, Fubara Similaye, on the party as his preferred governorship candidate for the 2023 General Elections.

It is this plot to impose the Accountant General that is causing serious internal wrangling in Rivers State PDP as most political watchers/Nigerians believe it is morally wrong to draft the Accountant General into the governorship race to succeed the governor.

Many people wonder what Wike would say assuming President Buhari was the one presenting the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, as his preferred successor. Trust the very critical Wike, he would not waste time to condemn the move as a move to institutionalize corruption in the country.

Political followers in the Niger Delta State believe if no last minute changes Mr Fubara Similaye from Opobo, a riverine community will be the next Governor of Rivers State which will enable him assume the status that will convey on him the Immunity Clause of Section 308 of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to protect him from all sorts of investigations.

Information has it that Mr. Fubara Similaye was the then Treasurer of Obio/Akpor Local Govt. Area when Wike was the Council Chairman, he later drafted him into the State Civil Service when he was the Chief of Staff to Gov. Rotimi Amaechi. Wike became governor and then facilitated Mr. Similaye’s carrier progression from one financial position to another, subsequently to Director of Finance Govt. House, Permanent Secretary and currently Accountant General. Nigerians can see why the man is his preferred candidate! Is Rivers State now Banana Republic

Gov. Wike has severally challenged some decisions of President Mohammadu Buhari on grounds of morality which the public with this recent turn of event in Rivers State politics under his watch sees as case of “Pot calling Kettle black/Double Standard/Speaking from both sides of the Mouth”. The point now is “will Nigerians still take Gov. Wike serious under this circumstance, if not properly managed”

In the case of Lauretta Onochie who was nominated by President Buhari as INEC National Commissioner to represent Delta State, Gov. Wike led all manner of campaign against her nomination on grounds of morality, the senate subsequently denied Clearance to Onochie. Same Wike wants to supervise same immorality in disguise hence the saying “he who goes to equity should go with clean hands” President Mohammadu Buhari is now being vindicated.

Nigerians are tired of lips service from their leaders, rather expect them to practice what they preach. The question that now beckones for an answer is; What is Gov. Wike obviously trying to hide/cover by fronting his Accountant General as successor? This is a case of “Res Ipsa loquitur (the Facts speaks for itself). In jurisprudence his action is perceived as a calculated attempt to “Tamper with the Res.” (Tampering with the status of a potencial witness) by trying to confer on him the Immunity Clause of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution which goes contrary to the ethics of Wike’s profession as a minister in the temple of justice. He should definitely know Nigerians are keenly watching!

Who gets PDP ticket in Rivers State will be a Litmus Test that either makes or mares Wike’s Presidential Ambition/True Personality. How he handles Rivers State transition will go a long way to portray how he will manage the Nation if given the opportunity.

Nigerians are now wiser and will no longer take people that play with their intelligence as serious characters.

The sage always had this to say “He who the gods want to kill he first make mad”. Gov. Wike should be mindful of playing the game of hypocrisy!

Okon writes from Abuja. [email protected]

Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO)
South South Zone

Press statement.


Nigerians must stand up and defend democracy


Following the refusal of Buhari to sign the electoral bill and the reluctance of the National Assembly to overide him, it has become imperative to put Nigerians on notice that our democracy is imperiled and faces serious dangers of survival come 2023.


Many Nigerians had hoped that President Muhamadu Buhari would write his name in gold as the president who bequeathed an improved electoral framework on the country. But unfortunately he missed the priceless opportunity when he decided to decline assent to the Electoral Bill 2021.


It is clear that by withholding assent to the electoral act amendments, President Muhammadu Buhari has shown a preference to retaining all the flaws of Nigeria’s electoral system because he and the All Progressives Congress, APC, are benefiting from it.

It is equally worthy to note that since the President assumed office, he has withheld his assent to virtually all amendments to the Electoral Act, even though he promised electoral reforms during his campaigns. What this means is that the President prefers to retain all the manifest flaws bedeviling our electoral system, from which himself and his ruling party are benefiting to the detriment of our democratic advancement.


The reasons advanced by President Buhari, for withholding assent to the bill is untenous and displays a morbid fear of a functional electoral system. Although the President is entitled to the discretion of his assent to any Bill presented to him, however, the reason adduced for the exercise of such presidential discretion must be legal and valid. It is clear that the discretion has not been properly exercised in the national interest, in this particular case.

The Constitution, the Electoral Act and indeed INEC, are to regulate the activities of all political parties, including their various constitutions. That being the case, the reason adduced by the President, for withholding his assent to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, that the said Bill violates the constitution of the political parties, is not supported by the Constitution which created the political parties in the first place.


Under and by virtue of Paragraph 15 (b) of Part 1 to the Second Schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended, INEC shall register political parties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and an Act of the National Assembly.



“By virtue of section 222 (a) of the Constitution, no association, by whatever name called, shall function as a political party, unless a copy of its constitution is registered with INEC.

“By virtue of section 223 (1) (a) of the Constitution, the constitution and rules of a political party shall provide for period election on a DEMOCRATIC basis of its principal officers.

“By virtue of section 224 of the Constitution, the Programme as well as the aims and objectives of a political party shall conform with the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Constitution.



“By virtue of section 40 of the Constitution, INEC is conferred with the power to register or refuse registration of political parties.




The registration of political parties is regulated by INEC in accordance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act. Thus, the constitutions of all political parties are to conform with these laws and not the other way round. It is the political parties that will amend their constitutions to conform with the provisions of the Electoral Act.



Nigeria is in dire need of a new and robust framework for the conduct of elections. The reform in the Electoral Bill 2021 will improve the quality of elections thereby imbuing citizens trust in our democracy.


Nigerians must not allow the huge human and financial resources that went into the Electoral Bill 2021 – from drafting to readings at the floor, the public hearing, the committee works, the retreat, the conference committee et al to go to waste.


The present mood in the country is the desire to have a new electoral law that will lead to a credible, free, fair, and peaceful process of electing leaders at various levels.


Nigerians need a system that will ensure their votes truly count in the election of those who govern them.


This proposed electoral law is expected to reassure professionals and youths,, many of whom steer clear of the political process because they have no confidence in the system. They believe the system is usually rigged and compromised.


One way to bring this active demography into the political system is to enact a new law that will give them hope in our nation. This Electoral Act [Amendment] Bill serves that purpose.


This is why we call on Nigerians to step up and act with immediacy to save our elections and her democracy.


With the next general election being just fourteen months away, we must insist that the the National Assembly invoke the provisions of section 58(5) of the Constitution to pass the Bill into law, through two-thirds majority of both Houses or be ready to face the people.


We must not allow the inordinate ambitions of a few self centered politicians truncate the goodness in the proposed electoral bill. Refusal to assent to the bill is not only anti people but also anti democratic. It is time to reclaim the civic space to save our hard won democracy



Signed,
Karl Chinedu Uchegbu
Chair, South Zone


Styvn Obodoekwe
Zonal Director

Finally A Serial Trickster is exposed

By Ejiogu Amadike

“Behind every great fortune there is a crime.” That is the epigraph to The Godfather, by Mario Puzo. Puzo attributed the quote to Balzac.

Balzac was a bit more nuanced: (in translation from the original French) he said: “The secret of a great success for which you are at a loss to account is a crime that has never been found out, because it was properly executed.

No doubt there are great, honest fortunes. But in our world, when the fortune doesn’t add up, the reason is often fraud. False statements, made with the intent to deceive. Innocent reliance on those statements. And a fortune that results from that reliance.

That is the story I am about to share with you.
Everybody knows Ambrose Orjiakor, but only a few know that beneath his great wealth lies great crimes bordering on serial breaches of trust and conspiracies to commit crime.

For years Dr. A.B.C. Orjiakor has strutted the Nigerian corporate world as the doyen of hard work and entrepreneul prowess. He is the Chairman of Seplat Energy Company and Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc,Abbeycourt Oil etc . He is seen by many as a man with the fabled Midas touch, who turns everything he touches into gold. Most Nigerians saw him as a model of rectitude and integrity. But it is all a façade. Behind the glitz and razzmatazz lies a sinister and hidden side unknown to many. Beneath the false flag of a captain of industry and business mogul lurks a sinister profile. Unknown to Nigerians he has always had a dubious and fraudulent character. What lurked underneath is a high level trickster who targets banks and high network individuals for his dubious scheme. He borrows money and defaults on payment as well as engaging in well-choreographed swindles that has left many of his business associates,inlaws and partners in distress.

A.B.C Orjiakors’ murky schemes were finally outed in an article in Thisday Newspaper written by Bayo Akinloye and titled “Again, Orjiakor on the wrong side of history”.

As detailed as the article was, it merely scratched the surface of what appears to be a lifetime and lifestyle of sleaze and swindling.

In his nebulous scams Orjiakor recognizes neither friends nor foes or family etc. To show how unconscionable he can be, I will walk you through some of his schemes targeted at those who ordinarily should be family to him.

One of Orjiakors’ victims is his own in- law, Uche Samson Akpuru, an enterprising business magnet and philanthropist. He is married to A.B.C Orjiakor’s sister, Uche. Orjiakor took over one Million dollars from Uche Akpuru in the 1980s and promptly defaulted on payment as is his usual pattern. Pleas and entreaties to pay back hit a brick wall. Today, his in-law and victim of his swindle, Sampson Uche Akpuru, is seriously sick and is currently being looked after by a co-in-law. Ambrose Orjiakors’s sister, Uche, promptly abandoned her husband, Sampson Uche Akpuru to his fate, following the downturn in his business.

Another of his in-laws, Sir (Dr) Emma Mbaka has similar tales of woes. Emma Mbaka is a wealthy developer and philanthropist and was married to A.B.C. Orjiakors sister, Ngozi. He is the Managing Director of Platinum Mortgage Bank. Orjiakor took huge sums from him and evaporated. He has long defaulted on payment. His other sister Ngozi, equally abandoned her marriage with Emma Mbaka, when their schemes to swindle her husband failed.

Another of his in-laws, Eze C.C. Nwuche suffered a worse fate. Eze C.C. Nwuche married A.B.C. Orjiakor’s sister, named Christy. The Orjiakor’s were then indegent. Eze Nwuche trained A.B.C. Orjiakor until he graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Calabar. His sisters Ngozi and Uche were also trained by Eze C.C. Nwuche. He paid back Eze Nwuche in his usual rough coin. Orjiakor was introduced into the oil and gas sector by Eze C C Nwuche. Through the hold his sister had on Eze Nwuche, he not only swindled huge sums from him, but also connived and took over his in-laws business partners, MARC RICH and later GLENCORE, both international oil traders based in Switzerland. He left Eze Nwuche bitter and frustrated.

According to a source familiar with the story, “his in-laws have really suffered in his hands. The same source noted that contrary to the public perception of Orjiakor, the traits of cheating people has always been there”.

Another victim of Ambrose Orjiakor is former Anambra state governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju. Today, Mbadinuju continues to rue the day he met Ambrose Orjiakor. Early into Mbadinuju’s tenure as governor, he was introduced to Ambrose Orjiakor. The relationship was rewarding for Orjiakor as the ex governor showered him with mouthwatering contracts. He was meant to be a conduit to the governor for laundering money. Years later Mbadinuju lamented that he was ruined by Orjiakor. All the money Mbadinuju gave to him for ‘warehousing’ disappeared into thin air. To make matters worse, monies Mbadinuju routed through him to buy a maritime vessel was used to procure the vessel in Ambrose Orjiakor’s name. He never did give any money back to Mbadinuju.He pushed Mbadinuju into a near war with Sir Emeka Offor a famous philanthropist and actively egged him,today he has warmed his way into Offor,s circle to the extent of partnering to take over Addax Petroleum.We will hear Offors litany in no distant time,as with all his other victims.

Just recently, Mr Orjiako was pressured to announce that he will be stepping down from Seplat Energy's board of directors in May 2022, on account if his serial schemes that had potrayed the oil company in bad light. The board of Seplat Energy thanked him for his "strategic vision, drive and limitless energy".

It is nice clear his forced exit from Seplat is responsible for his latest moves as he is currently known to be cozying up to Emeka Offor, as an advisor in the latters bid to buy Addax Petroleum. An insider in the deal expressed concerns that Orjiakors’ major target may be to offload Emeka Offors money and disappear as usual. He is also known to be moving close to Chief Timi Sylva, and positioning himself as a front. The Petroleum Minister should watch out as the relationship will go up in a smoke of scams and swindles.

Contrary to the mien Orjiakor presents to the public, lies the visage of a back room wheeler dealer without boundaries. Recent documents have exposed a connection between him and the Malabu oil scam. The Malabu case, has been ranked as Nigeria's biggest government-backed corporate heist. The deal began in 1998 when Mr Etete was petroleum minister under Sani Abacha. Alongside the kleptocrat dictator, they seized the OPL 245 and awarded it to Malabu, a company set up by Mr Etete and Mr Abacha's son.

The revelations are contained in documents filed by Agip, a subsidiary of the Italian oil major, Eni, at a U.S. court. According to the new documents, the Seplat chairman helped negotiate payment for the lucrative oil block and in the end, took a cut of the huge pay-out.

Ambrose Orjiako played the role of a top adviser to Dan Etete in the infamous Malabu scandal, in which the Nigerian government controversially handed a lucrative oil field to Mr Etete, who sold it to Shell and Eni and shared part of the proceeds with some senior government officials.

New court records show that between 2009 and 2011, Mr Orjiako, who is the chairman of Seplat Energy, Nigeria's biggest quoted oil and gas company, took part in several meetings between Mr Etete, Shell and Eni, where they negotiated the amount to be paid to Mr Etete for Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245.

Mr Orjiako, who previously led Shebah Petroleum, helped arrange at least one of such meetings, and informed Shell officials that the attorney general at the time, Mohammed Adoke, was willing to meet with them to move the discussions forward.

He attended a meeting on October 6, 2009, alongside Mr Etete, Umaru Bature (a former member of the House of Representatives who prosecutors said represented the interest of Aliyu Gusau, former National Security Adviser), Peter Robinson (Shell's commercial vice president for sub-Saharan Africa) and Guy Colegate (senior business advisor of Shell International Exploration & Production) where OPL 245 was discussed.

In the end, Helko Nigeria Ltd., a company in which Mr Orjiako was director, got $2.2 million from the booty.

The Malabu case, began in 1998 when Mr Etete was petroleum minister under Sani Abacha. The company was set up by Mr Etete and Mr Abacha's son. Mr Etete assumed control of the firm after Mr Abacha's death, and controversy over the ownership of the block and the company lingered for years with the Olusegun Obasanjo administration at one point revoking the award, triggering legal battles.

The Jonathan government eventually recognised Mr Etete as the owner of the block, and helped negotiate its transfer to Shell and Eni for $1.3 billion. The windfall was shared between Mr Etete and top cabinet members in the government, court records show. Shell and Eni and their officials have been tried in Europe for their roles in the transaction.

While it was known Mr Orjiako had links to the Malabu case, it was not exactly clear what his role was - until now.

New documents say Mr Orjiako's entry into the Malabu talks as an adviser to Mr Etete was helped by his past relationship with Shell officials who trusted him. He attended meetings where the amount to be paid to Mr Etete was discussed. One meeting spoke about reverting to a 1998/99 arrangement in which Shell acted as a technical partner to Malabu in exchange for 40 per cent of the oil field. Shell would then pay Mr Etete for the 40 per cent equity.

The oil firm demanded that its payment take into account the funds it already expended on the field (exploration and signature bonus, together $600 million - according to the court document).

The talks reached a stalemate when Mr Etete turned down Shell's initial offer of $300 million. Mr Etete said other investors were interested in the oil block and held talks with Eni separately. He also rejected Eni's offer.

"Etete asked Shell to come up with a figure for what they would pay for the 40% farm-in. We made it clear that after stripping out costs incurred to date the number was going to be very low and almost certainly way off what he was aspiring to," one Shell official wrote in an email.

"Etete keen though for us to name a figure so we could start negotiating... . We agreed to go back and do some work on this, and get back to him in a couple of weeks - but underlining that Shell internal processes could mean this taking a little longer."

At this point, Mr Orjiako assured Shell officials that Mr Etete would accept a better offer. To resolve the deadlock, the attorney general, Mr Adoke, met with all sides, including Shell, Eni, and Malabu, the records said.

"The following persons participated: For Shell: Peter Robinson (Regional Vice President), German Burmeister (Commercial Manager), and Keibi Atemie (Legal); For Malabu: Chief Seidu Munamuna (Board Director), Rasky Gbinigie (Company Secretary), accompanied by Alhaji Abubaker Aliyu, Femi Akinmade, and ABC Orjiako, as advisors. For ENI: R. Casula, V. Armanna, G. Zappalà, E. Caligaris in continuous contact with the departments at head office," the document said.

Mr Adoke later rejected Shell's plan in the draft agreement to pay the new agreed amount only after a licence had been issued for the block. Shell insisted it could not do otherwise, setting off another impasse. It was Mr Orjiako who helped arrange another meeting, advising Shell officials that the attorney general was willing to meet and continue talks. Shell later agreed to make payment at the time of signing the agreement, ahead of the issuance of a licence.

Helko Nigeria Limited, owned by Mr Orjiako was later paid $2,208,201.90 from the Malabu money. The real estate and property firm was registered in 1997 as a subsidiary of Ordrec Group Limited, according to corporate registration documents. It had two directors: Mr Orjiako and his wife, Chioma Orjiako.

One may ask why an ostensibly rich man needs to trick people for money. The answer lies in the fact that Orjiakor is not as successful as he lets people to believe. Infact his indebtedness is far more than his assets. His business woe which he had cleverly covered up for years, have finally erupted and is threatening to bury him in a tidal tsunami of litigations and foreclosures.

Already there are moves within the financial sector to get the Central Bank of Nigeria to assist individuals and banks who have fallen victim to Orjiakor’s “borrow and default” scam to recover the huge sum given out to him in order to guarantee soundness of the financial system as well as to engender confidence in the industry.

From all indication, Orjiako appears to be gaining notoriety as a bad borrower and analysts have stressed the need for commercial banks across the world and the Central Bank of Nigeria to reassess if he still possesses what bankers call the Five C’s of credit (character, capacity, capital, collateral, and conditions).

That is why recalcitrant debtors such as Orjiako, who are in the habit of moving from one bank to another, with a deliberate plan not to repay, must be prevented from destroying the financial system.

Recently, the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) had through its lawyers written all commercial and merchant banks in the country, directing them to forthwith, stop Sheba Exploration & Production Company and Orjiako and Allenne Limited from withdrawing monies from their accounts domiciled in all the banks.

In addition, the interim order by the court then, had given the Receiver/Manager the mandate to take over all the assets of Sheba E & P, its subsidiaries and affiliate companies, the personal assets of Orjiakor (including his homes at Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, in London and Maryland in the US), his offices and offices of SEPLAT, a floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO), as well as the shares of SEPLAT Petroleum and Development Company Plc and Platform Petroleum, pending the determination of the case.

Lexavier Partners Legal Practitioners, solicitors to AMCON, had disclosed this in a letter dated August 16, 2019. Specifically, on August 15, 2019, Justice T.O. Taiwo, had in a ruling at a Federal High Court, at the Abuja, in an interim order against the defendants and in favour of AMCON, had appointed Francis Chuka Agbu, (SAN), as Receiver/Manager.

Lexavier Partners Legal Practioners, in the letter had stated: “We refer to the above subject matter in which we act as Solicitors to AMCON, which is the plaintiff in the suit.

“We wish to inform you that on Thursday, August 15, 2019, the Federal High Court, holden at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, coral, Honourable Justice TO Taiwo, made the attached order against the defendants and in favour of AMCON.

“By the said Order, your bank is mandated to henceforth prevent all further withdrawal(s) of funds and other debit transactions from the defendants’ account (s) domiciled with your bank and also furnish the Receiver/Manager within seven days from the date of this notice, with comprehensive statements in respect of each account.”


Another victim of Orjiakor’s schemes, Access Bank, is presently in a legal tussle with Orjiako, Seplat as a company; Cardinal Drilling Nigeria Limited, another company associated with the businessman, and Kalu Nwosu, Managing Director of Cardinal Drilling Nigeria Limited, over an indebtedness put at $85.8 million.

On December 2, 2020, the head office of Seplat, a listed company on the NGX and the London Stock Exchange (LSE) was sealed up following a court order which permitted a receiver/manager, Messrs Kunle Ogunba & Co to enforce an ex parte motion requesting that Access Bank take over the oil and gas company’s head office, due to the Cardinal Drilling Nigeria loan taken from Diamond Bank.


It was gathered that in 2012, Cardinal Drilling Services Limited applied for and obtained a credit facility from Diamond Bank to buy CDS Rigs 101, 201, 202 and 203.


The loan was secured by a fixed and floating Debenture over Cardinal’s assets and the Cardinal Rigs were allegedly used to provide drilling services to Seplat. But Cardinal Drilling was unable to service the facility, prompting Access Bank to approach the court to enforce its rights.


The assets affected by the Mareva order included; 25, Lugard Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos, 6, Agodogba Avenue, Parkview, Ikoyi, Lagos and the one at 11, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.

In a cascade of business woes, Orjiako’s company, Seplat, recently disclosed that it had received an order from a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, that prevents it from transacting any form of business with the assets of Orjiako and some other entities.

The notification on the matter titled: “Interim Orders of Mareva Injunctions granted in the court action by Zenith Bank PLC against Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited and Others,” was posted on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) website.

It read: “Seplat Energy has been made aware of the ex parte Interim Orders of Mareva Injunctions which were granted by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Nigeria in a court action instituted by Zenith Bank PLC against Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited and 8 others, with an additional 29 cited parties.

“The Interim Orders give an administrative mandate to Seplat Energy Plc and others not to deal with the assets of (or transfer funds to) Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited, Shebah Petroleum Development Company Limited and Dr. A.B.C. Orjiako. The order has no impact on the operations of Seplat Energy. We understand the injunction relates to loans made by Zenith Bank Plc to Shebah Exploration & Production Company Limited in 2014.”

As a result of the development, Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, where Orjiako is the company Chairman on Friday notified investors on the NGX and other stakeholders that it would adhere to the directive of the court not to deal on the assets of its embattled chairman nor transfer funds to him and other parties listed in the suit.


Access Bank and Zenith Bank are just few of the financial institutions that have dragged the Orjiakor to court over his indebtedness. The two financial institutions have vowed to take every step within the ambit of law to recover this huge amount of debt.