$16bn Power Contracts Scandal: Reps summon Obasanjo, Atiku

Idowu Samuel and Bola Badmus, Abuja - 07.05.2008

http://www.tribune.com.ng/07052008/news/news2.html

THE House of Representatives committee probing the power sector between 1999 and 2007 has asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo to appear before it to answer questions on the allegations of large-scale frauds on the National Independent Power Project (NIPP) contracts.

The committee has also summoned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to appear on the same issue while it asked the two of them to meet at the National Assembly complex next Monday.


Also, the former Minister of Finance during the latter part of the Obasanjo administration, Mrs. Nenadi Usman, has been asked to join both Obasanjo and Atiku at the National Assembly for a special public hearing on the probe.

It will be the third invitation to be extended to the former Minister of Finance since she failed to turn up for the public hearing on each of the occasions, thus prompting the committee to threaten her with a warrant of arrest.

Usman had reacted that she never received any of the summons reportedly issued to her by the committee, claiming that she learnt about the summons only on the pages of newspapers.


“All the same, his position on the power sector probe has not changed. He has no light to show on the NIPP contracts because he was never a party to the contract, he was never a witness to the heavy looting that characterised the contract and he has no information to offer that will help the committee to unravel the riddles over the power project contracts.”

The invitation summoning Obasanjo, Atiku and Usman to the House public hearing dated May 3, 2005 was signed by Mallam S. Y. Ahmed.

However, the former president could not be immediately reached for reaction.

The letter to Obasanjo read in part: “In carrying out its mandate, the committee had conducted a public hearing where oral testimonies were made by stakeholders from the public and private sectors. In the course of the hearing, a lot of allegations and counter allegations were made. References were also made to approvals and directives alleged to have been given by your excellency as the then president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as in your capacity as the chairman of the Federal Executive Council.

“In view of the foregoing, the committee, at its meeting on Tuesday, 22 April 2008, unanimously resolved that before submitting its report, it is appropriate to give you fair hearing by inviting you to come and give an insight and perspective into what you knew or your role in the execution of projects in the power sector from 1999 to 2007.

“In this regard, I am directed to invite you to appear before the committee on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 10.00 a.m. in the Conference Hall, Zero Floor, New Building, House of Representatives Wing, National Assembly complex, Abuja.”

Will Baba appear before the House Committee ? Assuming he does, how will he explain awarding contracts worth millions of dollars
to firms bypassing due process ? How will he explain awarding contracts to firms not even registered with the Corporate
Affairs Commission ?

I am dying to see this one play itself out.

Ofcourse, he will appear and defend himself well like the usual Nigerian politicians.
However, you will be heart broken if you are expecting much from the probe.

nuzo:

Ofcourse, he will appear and defend himself well like the usual Nigerian politicians.
However, you will be heart broken if you are expecting much from the probe.

No need to expect much since its all show. Why prosecute him when Yardy will do the same. Its a necessary cycle to maintain Nigeria's infamous corruption.

What are they summoning Atiku for ? I don't think he had much to do with the NIPP or Power
ministry for that matter.

wendymanda:

No need to expect much since its all show. Why prosecute him when Yardy will do the same. Its a necessary cycle to maintain Nigeria's infamous corruption.

Do you honestly believe that after all these revelations, all those contractors that got paid millions of dollars in mobilization
fees without performing anything on ground are just going to go scott free ?

Even if no one is jailed, I think some people are going to refund money to the Nigerian treasury.

maxell:


What are they summoning Atiku for ? I don't think he had much to do with the NIPP or Power
ministry for that matter.

Yes, I don't think Atiku played much role in the scandal.

@OP

I believe some good will come out of this probe.

maxell:

Do you honestly believe that after all these revelations, all those contractors that got paid millions of dollars in mobilization
fees without performing anything on ground are just going to go scott free ?

Even if no one is jailed, I think some people are going to refund money to the Nigerian treasury.

Has Nigeria ever recieved a refund? Probably not therefore this will cause water cooler conversation but it will only stop there.

shouldn't the former committee members for power and energy be probed?
what were they doing back then?
seems oversight function start after obasanjo's tenure

Dis Guy:


shouldn't the former committee members for power and energy be probed?
what were they doing back then?
seems oversight function start after obasanjo's tenure

How could they probe obasanjo while he was in power ? You should know that's impossible;
he would've just sent the EFCC after them.

Even former house speaker, Ghali Umar Na'Abba, that was threatening to impeach him, ended up begging
him because his speakership job was on the line (thanks to obasanjo).

I'm keeping an open mind on this one. I hope something good comes out of it.

http://saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=592

UBA $15 million Fine:How Charles Soludo Laundered CBN/AFC funds through the UBA New York Branch

Last View on Thu 8th May, 2008
Last Modified on Wed 30th April, 2008 4:16:00 pm
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Saharareporters, New York

Saharareporters has confirmed from US government investigators that the United Bank of Africa (UBA), was fined $15 million for failure to report suspicious transactions to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) due to huge money transfers from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The penalty against the New York Branch of United Bank for Africa, PLC for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) was as a result of the deposit made by Charles Soludo, the current governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria into the accounts of the UBA branch in New York.
“
The money was assessed to be close to $300 million”, according to one of the investigators who spoke anonymously to Saharareporters. Sources told our reporters the money was used in short term investments in New York for businesses that were unrelated with that of the stated mission of AFC and the proceeds might have gone into private bank accounts.

Further inquiries shows that the transaction came directly from the Central bank account of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) of which Soludo is Chairman while Tony Elumelu , the managing director of the United bank of Africa is a director. Other directors of the African Finance Corporation (AFC) include major bank CEOs and Nigeria’s so-called “economic prime movers” that benefited largely from financial scams packaged as “economic reforms” by the Obasanjo regime.

Charles Soludo, Tony Elumelu (UBA), Jim Ovia (Zenith), Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola and Cecilia Ibru are all directors of the board of the African Finance Corporation (AFC). These banks are supposed to be under the supervision of the Central Bank of Nigeria.


Two days ago the US authorities announced the assessment of concurrent civil money penalties of $15 million, against the New York Branch of United Bank for Africa, PLC for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). The UBA has already made a single payment of $15 million to the US. Department of the Treasury.

In what appears to be a continuation of trouble for the UBA branch in New York, US authorities told Saharareporters that they have detected another suspicious transaction of $200 million into the UBA New York branch account in March 2008, the monies were traced to the CBN /AFC account in Nigeria.

In July 2007 the UBA entered into an agreement with the US Department of Justice to settle civil and criminal liabilities of money laundering of fraud proceeds discovered between 2000 and 2004 through accounts held at UBA, including that of a company named Zamora.

US authorities told Saharareporters that the recent fines by the OCC and FinCEN are totally unrelated to the July 2007 agreement with the US department of Justice in which the UBA also forfeited $5 million. The July 2007 settlement did not preclude possible criminal prosecution of UBA for tax evasion.

Please go and ask whoever to summon these group of 419 "WAZOBI" crooks!  Let me go and dig up some more.  Thank God for foreign press.

See your so-called big men in Nigeria?  While the rest of the Nigerian citizens languish in poverty.  Dirty deals are being covered up around the world, by paying fines as usual or forfeiting money left right and center!

Andy Uba style of justice!

International Tax evasion and Money Laundering Ring!
Awon 419!

Where are those people on Nairaland that said we should not believe SaharaReporters?

I understand why now.  Since our their fathers are being exposed one by one!

If people like Wesley Snipes can go to jail for tax evasion, why can't these crooks be jailed too?  Oh, I forgot.  The bigger the crook, the greater the fee for justice!

PAYMENT FOR JUSTICE!

[size=15pt]$300 MILLION DOLLARS![/size]


This has been going on for years before investigation.  No wonder Tony Elumelu cannot enter the US till today! Ole!  Third class Okija graduate turned first class crook!

Useless country!

they are not clamouring for refunds,what they are saying is that if the contractors will finish the jobs they got paid for ,then its all well and good,refunds will only be if they refuse to finish the job,obj will come and defend himself the question is if they will not be scared or over whelmed to ask obj the proper questions and let him off easy like they did liyel imoke,irrespective of yar adua's fault he is a listening president and he ll not sweep the reports under

lucabrasi:

they are not clamouring for refunds,what they are saying is that if the contractors will finish the jobs they got paid for ,then its all well and good,refunds will only be if they refuse to finish the job,obj will come and defend himself the question is if they will not be scared or over whelmed to ask obj the proper questions and let him off easy like they did liyel imoke,irrespective of yar adua's fault he is a listening president and he ll not sweep the reports under

I get the feeling this is a non of the above answer question, neither the job nor the refund will be granted. Too bad the country is ruled by imbeciles and bafoons with two piece suits on if that.