By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, has warned Afenifere Chieftain, Dr Femi Okurounmu, to avoid getting involved in matters capable of ridiculing his status as an elder statesman, especially matters on which he would not speak objectively for obvious reasons.

Olayinka stated this while reacting to Dr Okurounmu’s statement, accusing President Bola Tinubu of being laid-back on the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, asked “what exactly Dr Okurounmu expected President Tinubu to have done?”

Olayinka said it was strange that Dr Okurounmu, a former Senator could opt to be playing ostrich to the avalanche of disobedience to court judgements by the Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara, and the danger such affront on the judiciary posed to democracy and peace in the country.

“One is however not too amazed because he (Okurounmu) holds the record of being the first Senator to be suspended by his colleagues out of the seven Senators that have been suspended since 1999 till date,” Olayinka said.

Dr Okurounmu had accused the FCT Minister of being the architect and mastermind of the Rivers crisis, saying, “even if Governor Sim Fubara is his godson, Wike should be told that he cannot be his surrogate as a sitting governor with full powers.”

Responding, Olayinka asked when Wike told Dr Okurounmu that he wanted Governor Fubara to be his surrogate, and not function as the Governor of Rivers State, adding that “He (Okurounmu, as an elder should be honest enough to stand before the mirror and ask himself the roles he played in Fubara becoming governor.”

He said: “In Yorubaland, when two children are fighting, what the elders do is to sit them down and listen to their sides of the conflict. Elders don’t just sit in their bedrooms and apportion blame as done by Baba Femi Okurounmu.

“Was it Wike that went to the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex and set it on fire so as to prevent duly elected lawmakers from carrying out their duties?

“Was it Wike that has been illegally using three members out of the 32-member State House of Assembly to carry out legislative business in Rivers State, including passing the State Budget as well as screening and confirming commissioners, when the constitution says that budget can only be passed by two-third of the Assembly members?

“Hasn’t Governor Fubara been ignoring judgements of the courts concerning his regime of lawlessness in Rivers State? When the Court of Appeal in Abuja on October 10, 2024, affirmed a lower court’s decision nullifying the Rivers State’s 2024 budget signed into law and being operated by Governor Fubara, did the governor obey the judgement?

“And is it not shocking that Dr Okurounmu had chosen to ignore the danger Governor Fubara’s deliberate affronts on the rule of law pose to democracy and peace in Nigeria?”

On Dr Okurounmu’s accusation that President Tinubu was being laid-back on the Rivers State crisis, Olayinka asked; “What exactly does Baba Femi Okurounmu expect the President to have done? Overrule the various judicial pronouncements and join Governor Fubara in his reign of lawlessness?

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

Former Member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Israel Sunny Goli has commended President Bola Tinubu and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over the recent investigations and prosecution of graft cases and fight against corruption.

Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, who represented the Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency in the House of Representative, also commended the EFCC for the thorough investigation into the $35 million fraud concerning the 2,000 barrels per day (BPD) Atlantic Refinery project in Okpoama, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, in a commendation letter addressed to the Chairman of the

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said the arrest of Mr.

Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, and Eng. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and others who are key figures in the alleged fraud, has instilled hope among our people and bolstered confidence in the EFCC under your leadership.

According to him, “It is heart-warming to observe that public confidence in the agency under your leadership has grown significantly, as you have steered a new course of transparency, focus, and zeal in the operations of the foremost anti-graft agency.”

“While the arrest of the aforementioned individuals is a positive development, I respectfully request the investigation of the

board chairman of the NCDMB  and its members for their potential complicity in approving the award of the contract to an entity with no known track record for the construction of a 2,000 BPD Modular Refinery in Okpoama, Brass Local Government Area.”

“The lack of response or support from either the board chairman or its members since I raised the petition on this matter raises significant concerns about their potential complicity in the fraudulent act. To fully understand their involvement, I recommend an immediate arrest and investigation of Timipre Sylva, being the board chairman and other members of the board.”

“Nothing would be more gratifying to the people of Brass Local Government Area than to see everyone involved in the perpetration of this $35 million fraud brought to justice, with every stolen dime refunded so that the project can be executed for the benefit of all.”

Hon. Sunny-Goli, who is also a traditional ruler from Two Brass with the title Kemmer V; Amadabo of Kemmer-Ama, extended his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for the unwavering stance against corruption,”I would like to extend my gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering stance against corruption. This firm position has expedited the investigation and arrest of those involved in grand larceny while holding public trust, particularly in this case.”

“Such a resolute approach by the President serves as a deterrent to other public office holders.It is disheartening that, despite the government’s good intentions towards its citizens, those entrusted with implementing policies for the benefit of the people are choosing to corruptly enrich themselves at the expense of the populace.”

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested former Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Timber Kesiye Wabote, in connection with an alleged $35 million fraud involving the Brass Project.

It was gathered that the arrest is related to a failed refinery project for which $35 million was allocated.

Wabote’s arrest followed the detention of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, who is facing allegations of misappropriation, money laundering, and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

Wabote is currently held at the EFCC’s facility in Abuja.

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

Immediate past Governor of Delta, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has denied allegations that he misappropriated N1.3 trillion oil derivation funds of the state while in office.

Okowa spoke out for the first time when he received the national leadership of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) led by its President-General, Chief Ese Owe, which paid him a solidarity visit at his residence in Asaba on Tuesday.

He said that he was not worried by the EFCC’s invitation because he was confident that he would come out clean having served Deltans well as governor.

He disclosed that the petitioners were driven by mundane political considerations but asserted that he would continue to support Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to deliver on the mandate freely given to him by Delta people.

“It was a petition written several months ago, but unfortunately, with the politics of our time some people decided to ensure that Okowa must be invited by EFCC.

“People are genuinely uncomfortable about Okowa and I was actually invited and I went there by myself and the first thing I saw was that they said I misappropriated N1.3 trillion and I said, do you know the kind of money you are talking about?

“To successfully take N1.3 trillion, it means you have to be taking between N16 billion and N20 billion every month into your pocket. I don’t even know if the President of this country will be able to do that, not to talk of the governor of Delta State.

“They have forgotten that the first in three years we came into office – 2015, 2016 and 2017 – the money that was coming into the state was not even enough to pay salaries at all.

“Some local governments like Ethiope East were owing as much as 15 months salaries and even in the state here some people were getting half salaries.

“Delta State is the highest salary-paying state in this nation; our salaries grew to the level that salaries and pensions went up to over N11 billion in a month.

“There are some states whose total staff strength is less than 18,000, but here in Delta, we have over 56,000 workers.

“Workers always received their salaries promptly while we also embarked on all the projects that were done, and nobody thinks about it, especially the projects we did in the riverine areas. But, I know that the people are not happy with those who wrote the petition.”

“Personally, I am not against investigation because the EFCC has to do its job, and I know that I have done everything how it ought to be done.

“For every allegation, they will investigate, and when they have found the truth, they will stop, but for those who sent a wrong communication, it is rather unfortunate.

“I just pray for them because when you allow yourself to be used as a tool, when evil starts to come, the impact will be so much, but I pray that God will forgive them.

“I know that by the special grace of God we have done the things we ought to do to the best of our ability and by the special grace of God, Governor Oborevwori is beginning to do a lot.

“I believe that by next year he will do a lot more. So, let me assure you that I will continue to support the UPU and the governor of the state as much as I can because I know that he has a lot to offer this state.” The former governor added.

He commended the UPU for its support to him over the years, saying, “I thank the UPU and the Urhobos because they supported me a lot and they also believe in equity because I always got more votes from them than their sons who contested against me.”

Earlier, the President-General of UPU had said that their visit was to thank the former Governor for supporting their son, Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to emerge as Governor of the state.

He expressed the union’s appreciation to Okowa for all his support to it throughout his tenure and out of office.