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Nigeria: Bode George in EFCC Net
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Vanguard (Lagos)
8 August 2008
Posted to the web 8 August 2008
Emma Ujah, Ise-Oluwa Ige & Olasunkanmi Akoni
OPERATIVES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the early hours of yesterday, in Abuja, arrested former Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and chieftain of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George.
He was picked up in his Abuja home after he was trailed for more than 24 hours without his Chief Olabode George knowledge.
Sources said he would have been arrested in Lagos but that he went into hiding after he dared the commission over a reported plan to arrest him.
Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr Femi Babafemi, who confirmed the arrest yesterday was economical with information on the reasons for his arrest.
At press time yesterday, Vanguard gathered that operatives of the Commission were taking turns to engage him on various issues on the running of the Ports Authority during his tenure as chairman.
The issues, Vanguard learnt, ranged from un-procedural award of contract during his tenure as chairman of NPA; inflation of contract prices; deliberate splitting of contract sums in order to circumvent extant government rules and grant of 100 % upfront for awarded contracts contrary to rules among other.
The source which said he had already volunteered useful information to the anti-graft agency said he was also questioned over N85 billion fraud in the Ports Authority during his tenure.
A reliable source at the Commission said he would definitely be arraigned before a high court of jurisdiction before the expiration of the time allowed by the constitution for his detention.
"I can confirm to you that if he is not arraigned tomorrow (Friday), he will definitely be arraigned on Monday.
"This is because the case against him is already ripe for trial long before now," the source added.
Chief George had been away to the US and the UK for some time before he returned, last week.
While he was away, tongues had wagged that he ran away to evade arrest.
But when he arrived the country, last week, he debunked the insinuations making the rounds that he went on exile to evade arrest and possible prosecution.
His words: "Me? Run away? That is rubbish. I'm back now and whoever wrote that article should bring his/her EFCC to come and arrest me. So, there's no need to clear any air.
Is it a crime for one to be on holidays? So, if you work continuously at the highest echelon of the political party for nine years and you decide to have a break from the day-to-day running of your office, what is wrong with that?
You see, people should stop being mischievous. Bode George is back. I've rested enough. My systems are working very well.
"All the checks I didn't do for many years that nearly resulted to ill-health, I've done them now and I feel well. In fact, I feel like an 18-year-old, ready to launch back on the plough. There is no problem at all.
I'm happy to be back and if I'm invited, I'll go. Am I not a Nigerian? What is there to answer in the last six years that they are asking? How can a part-time chairman of the NPA be responsible for anything there? Whoever is making the wuru wuru there, they know," he said.
Although Vanguard was not privy to the statement made by Bode George to the commission yesterday, it however learnt that he was queried on a number of allegations contained in a sworn affidavit by an investigation officer with the EFCC, one Bamanga Bello on the outcome of the probe of the former NPA boss.
EFCC case against George
According to Bello in the affidavit deposed to before an Ikeja High Court since last December, he had said:
"Sometimes in the year 2005, I was called upon by the Chairman of the Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to represent him in the Committee set up by the Federal Government to review and verify contracts awarded by the Nigerian Ports Authority (hereinafter referred to as 'NPA') from 2001 to 2003
"The name of the committee is Special Committee on Review And Verification of Contracts Awarded by the NPA from 2001 to 2003.
"I represented Mallam Nuhu Ribadu during the Committee sittings.
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"Chief Olabode George was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Ports Authority during the period under investigation.
Two statements made by the jibiti George amused me. These I can easily interpret as follows. First, Bode George, not satisfied with the loots during his military career, had been working hard to steal as much money possible to reach his goal of acquiring a lot. Secondly, a daft like him is not ashamed to tell the press that he went abroad for medical tests, all of which could be done in Nigeria, if people like him and his co-looters, Obasanjo and his family members had not delibrately staffed our health ministry of necessary funds. I wonder if all these... [Read Full Text]
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