PROBE: Jonathan’s associates’ accounts frozen

The anti-corruption campaign of the President Muham­madu Buhari-led administration appears to have taken a bigger bite as the bank ac­counts of some associ­ates of former President Goodluck Jonathan have been secretly flagged by the Economic and Finan­cial Crimes Commission (EFCC). A member of the Alhaji Ahmed Joda-led Transition Committee of the All Progres­sive Congress (APC) who spoke on the condition of ano­nymity said the move by the anti-graft agency was aimed at stemming the movement of cash from the multi-billion ac­counts for other reasons.
The APC chieftain spoke on the heels of the condemna­tion of President Buhari’s on-going probe, and recovery of funds from the past adminis­tration by the opposition Peo­ples Democratic Party (PDP). The affected accounts are those belonging to Keketo­bou Foundation floated by former Special Adviser to Jonathan on Niger Delta, and co-ordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Hon Kingsley Kuku,Mieka Divers Limited as well as Global West Vessels Limited allegedly owned by ex-Niger Delta warlord, Chief Government Ekpompolo, oth­erwise known as Tompolo. Aside that, one of Jonathan’s close allies, Mr Kime En­gozi’s accounts has also been flagged. Engozi is the contrac­tor handling the N30 billion Maritime University contract at Okerenkoko in the Gbara­matu area of Delta state. Besides, funds already ap­proved for the take-off of the Maritime University are stranded in a Yenagoa branch of United Bank for Africa Plc. The NIMASA Technical Col­lege at Okoloba, also in Delta state appears threatened as there are fears that the institu­tion might be scrapped. Accounts linked to the im­mediate past Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Ad­ministration and Safety Agen­cy (NIMASA), Dr Patrick Akpobolokemi are equally ‘flagged’ by the EFCC. The top presidency source said although he could not confirm if Jonathan’s penulti­mate meeting with President Buhari discussed the issue, the action to ‘flag’ the said ac­counts may have been for se­curity reasons, even as he said the opposition PDP was igno­rant of the workings of gov­ernment, especially security. “This is not a matter of lob­by, or any politics that should be shoved aside; what is at stake is the nation’s security and nothing more. “So when the PDP says the current anti-corruption drive is selective, we continue to laugh at them because they do not seem to know what is at stake at all; if only they know, all the noise they have been making won’t be made at all. “How many of these PDP elements know that just one individual benefitted from a single NIMASA transaction to the tune of N13billion, not to talk of about $57million he was said to have benefitted from controversial contractual deals? “Are these the things they ask us to sweep under the carpet? Certainly, we cannot, because apart from the angle of the impunity and financial recklessness, does it make any sense if any responsible gov­ernment allows such individu­als who had threatened war in the event that Jonathan did not win, to have such huge sums in bank vaults? Such accounts must be flagged of course,” he said. Tompolo is not under any investigation by the EFCC, but Kuku has a date to keep with the anti-graft agency in September, having gone for a knee surgery in the United States of America in July this year, while the former NIMA­SA boss has been under inves­tigation since one month ago. However, Akpobolokemi’s interaction with the EFCC has been linked to business deals between him, and the ex-warlord while he held sway at NIMASA. EFCC’s seizure of Ak­pobolokemi’s International Passport, and a N38 million worth bullet-proof Toyota Landcruiser Jeep are already heightening speculations that he might be prosecuted, if findings by the investigators indict him. As investigations on him continue, there are spirited efforts by lawyers, especially those of the human and civil rights ilk to get him off the hook. At least, three close aides and confidants of the former NIMASA boss, including the current Executive Director in charge of Maritime Safety and Shipping Development, Mr Ezekiel Bala Agaba have been guests of the EFCC in the last ten days. Among the issues raised in the rigorous EFCC scrutiny are the amount spent on the Maritime Domain Awareness and Surveillance System, (MDASS) as well as the man­agement of the Cabotage Ves­sel Financing Fund (CVFF). It will be recalled that the House of Representatives Ad- Hoc Committee of the last National Assembly, in 2013, queried the management of NIMASA over alleged mouth-watering payments to Global West Vessels Limited. The House Committee was set up to ascertain how much had accrued into the CVFF, including the interest, as well as how much fund disbursed, and to whom the money was given. It also demanded to know why such huge amount of payment was made to Global West. During the investigation, a member of the Committee, Dr Adejare Samuel Babatunde, raised the alarm on the amount of money paid to one single company, and demanded that a detailed bank statement of account of the CVFF be for­warded to the committee. The committee, it was gathered, was also irked by the payment of 50 percent of NIMASA’s generated revenue to the said company, contrary to laid down financial regula­tions of government. The committee also picked holes at the NIMASA CVFF accounts, and demanded an explanation on the movement of monies from the Fund to other accounts. The CVFF ac­counts are domiciled in Skye, Sterling, Diamond and Fidel­ity Banks. Beside the unauthorized movements of monies from the Fund, the committee fur­ther demanded the disclosure of names and the consultants engaged by NIMASA, and how much has been paid to the consultants.