₦airaland Forum

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has detained the Managing Director of Medview Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole over alleged hajj scam.

The suspect allegedly diverted 50 per cent of funds paid to him by the National Hajj Commission, and additional $900,000 for the airlift of pilgrims in 2019, which he failed to execute.

He was reportedly detained on Monday afternoon at the headquarters of the EFCC in Jabi, Abuja.

A source revealed that Bankole, who arrived at the EFCC complex at 11am was invited by the anti-graft agency following his failure to execute the airlift contract after receiving the mobilisation funds.

“He was given 50 per cent advance payment as well as additional $900,000 for airlift of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia by the National Hajj Commission in 2019 but he failed to execute the contract and he also did not refund the money,” an official disclosed.

Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Monday faulted the series of allegations of corruption against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the state government.

Rather than being prosecuted for corruption, he stressed that he should be the one laying claims to the benefits he ‘rejected’ while serving as governor for eight years.

“How much is Imo State government money?” asked Okorocha who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “Imo State is really owing me because I never collected my security votes; I am supposed to collect N8 billion if I have to make claims for security votes I did not collect.

“I fed myself throughout in the Government House when I was there, I used my personal cars. Those who say I was broke are liars. If you talk about Nigerians blessed by God, I raise my hand to be one of them. I was Rochas before I became governor, in fact, governor made me poorer.

“I had Rochas Foundation Schools – so many of them, over 18,000 before I became governor; to feed these children and educate them, it doesn’t cost anything less than N500 a day. Calculate that and know whether there is any day I wake up that N10 million, N15 million does not go out of my pocket.”

Court Disobeyed?
Before the interview, Okorocha, who presently represents Imo West senatorial district, was slammed with a 17-count charge to the tune of N2.9 billion by the EFCC.

The anti-graft agency filed the charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja about the same time the lawmaker was declaring his intention to run for the office of president in 2023.

He was accused of conspiring with others, including a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and five companies to steal from public coffers.

Reacting to the suit, Okorocha stated that it was not the first time he would be facing such action from the EFCC, saying it was politically motivated.

According to him, the anti-graft agency has continued to disobey court orders relating to the alleged abuse of his fundamental human rights.

The former governor, however, advised the EFCC not to allow itself to be a tool for politicians but investigate allegations and get real facts before taking necessary actions.

“The story of Rochas and EFCC, the story of Rochas and politics of Imo State has been a long dragged one,” he said. ‘I am not aware of this suit, but what I do know is that the stage I found myself with EFCC, I had an order against EFCC from Federal High Court on the abuse of my human rights, but the EFCC has refused to obey that order.

“It’s been one drama or the other but what is happening actually is that I don’t want to say it is politically motivated, but it is looking more like it.

“Go to Code of Conduct Bureau and see my worth before becoming governor and since I finished, there has never been any property of the government, any cash of government found in my coffers or (that of) any of my family members. There is not anything that I have that has been traced to Imo State government’s money while I was in office.”

SLOVFO:
Igbo amaka abi? They're coming for you

Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi says he will contest in the 2023 presidential election if his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) throws it open for all to contest, or zones it to the south.

Obi who was PDP’s Vice-Presidential Candidate in the 2019 Presidential polls was quoted as saying this, during a press interview.

A press release by his media aide, Mr Val Obienyem quoted Obi as saying that he is capable of turning around the fortunes of the country but will wait on the decision of the Peoples Democratic Party before he declares his intention.

Obi said: “All the elections that I followed in the past, the party that I belong to today, the PDP made a pronunciation and took a stand. At least in 2019 when I was involved, where I can say Atiku graciously chose me as his running mate which I remain eternally grateful to him for, the party decided that the candidate should come from the North and that was what the party decided.

And I believe that the party owes it a duty to say what their stand is. If there stand today is South, be rest assured I am aspiring, if they say North, I can’t do otherwise or they chose the option that everybody is free, then, of course, you will be hearing from me.”

The former Governor while affirming his commitment to building a better Nigeria, advised all and sundry to choose a candidate who is competent and most importantly has integrity.

“What we are looking for in this country today are people of integrity, people of conscience, people who are less greedy. Educational qualification is not a measure of integrity; it doesn’t guarantee that somebody is less greedy or that people have a conscience.”

He further added, “I have seen people here acquire what they don’t need. I saw it while I was serving, to fight corruption here, you need somebody who has integrity, who is not greedy, who has a conscience if you have that, fighting corruption is easy, because, if you who is in charge is not stealing, you will reduce stealing by 50 to 70 per cent.

And, “it is critical that you have somebody who is like that. It is not when people are acquiring lands, houses, everything they don’t need; they want to live a lifestyle that is far beyond the economy of Nigeria, far beyond their earnings, that is why the place is collapsing. That is why we have insecurity, that is why we have poverty. We need to manage the costs efficiently and these are the critical areas as you people know as you look for people who will govern the country in the future,” he noted.