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REQUEST FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF LIYEL IMOKE

July 15, 2008
Mrs. Farida Waziri

The Executive Chairman

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

Abuja.

 

Dear Madam,

  

 

We are Transparency In Nigeria, Cross River Chapter and Cross River Movement For Justice based in Calabar, Cross River State of Nigeria. We are strongly and passionately committed to the promotion of the values of Democracy, Transparency, Accountability and Probity in GOVERNANCE. It is worthy to note that TRANSPARENCY IN NIGERIA is the NIGERIA AFFILIATE OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL.

 

We write in respect of the above subject matter in the interest of National Security and well being of 140 Million Nigerians. We do hope that this matter shall be taken with all amount of seriousness in the interest of the Country THEREBY SENDING strong signal to the International Community that Nigerians have resolved to fight corruption which has reached pandemic level. It will further show that it does not pay for any Nigerian who is entrusted with a Higher National Responsibility to toy with whatever he is saddled upon him or use it negatively to promote his Personal Interest over and above National Interest.

 

We humbly and respectfully invite you to immediately commence investigation into the activities of Senator Liyel Imoke during his tenures as Chairman, Technical   Committee on the defunct NEPA and Minister of Power and Steel from 2003 to 2006. You will recall that during the tenure of Mr. Imoke as Minister for Power and Steel, the sum of $16 Billion was budgeted for the resuscitation of the Power Sector in Nigeria which was then on the verge of collapse. A chunk of this money was budgeted for the building of several Power Plants in the Country.

 

It is disheartening that there is nothing on ground to show that such enormous amount of Money was ever budgeted nor utilised for the purpose for which it was budgeted. Meanwhile the Man on whose shoulders this National Responsibility was placed was illegally promoted to Governor of a State.

 

It is completely out of tune and an unremitting assault on our National Psychic and Intelligence for such a Man as Mr. Imoke, who betrayed 140 Million Nigerians and brought the entire Country to International Disgrace, Odium, Scandal and Embarrassment to be allowed to walk the Streets of Nigeria without any effort being made to ask him to account for the money entrusted to him to ameliorate the horrible state of Power Supply in Nigeria. What legacy are we bequeathing to the future generation when we allow Such   a Man as Mr. Imoke to take umbrage and protection under the toga of Constitutional Immunity to escape from rendering accounts of his National Stewardship as Minister for Power?

 

You will recall that during the Public Hearing of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Power, there were sordid and scandalous revelations that all the contracts awarded to companies to execute power plants projects in the country were not executed. It was also revealed that that SENATOR LIYEL IMOKE AS MINISTER FOR POWER UNILATERALLY AWARDED CONTRACTS TO ‘PORTFOLIO COMPANIES’ AND OTHERS  FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF POWER PLANTS WITHOUT COMPLIANCE WITH DUE PROCESS AND COMPETITIVE BIDDING, WHICH WERE MAJOR POLICY PLANKS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA.LIYEL IMOKE ADMITTED BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON OATH THAT DUE PROCESS WAS NOT FOLLOWED BECAUSE HE OBTAINED WAIVER  AND THIS WE RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT WAS A CONTRAVENTION OF GOVERNMENT FINANICAL REGULATIONS IN FUTHERANCE OF HIS PRIVATE INTEREST.

 

 It was also revealed that contracts were recklessly and haphazardly awarded to Companies by SENATOR LIYEL IMOKE without a scintilla of evidence that they have track record and cognitive experience in the execution of such highly technical projects IN GROSS VIOLATION OF GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL REGULATIONS AND POLICY. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former Minister for Finance, revealed this much at the public hearing. As a result, $2.2bn projects were awarded without bidding process.

One of the Companies has a capital base of just $200.It was further revealed that 34 illegal and unregistered firms were awarded Contracts worth N6.2 Billion. This is NATIONAL ECONOMIC SABOTAGE.

 

Indeed, the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC), Engineer Hamman Tukur disclosed at the said hearing that a power project commissioned by Obasanjo in Cross River was discovered to be an ‘empty site! ". The said Project located in ODUKPANI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE was awarded to a Company that fronted for SENATOR LIYEL IMOKE.The House Committee while on the spot assessment tour of POWER PROJECTS IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION discovered an uncompleted N9.8bn power project that was commissioned in Bayelsa State.

 

We invite you to investigate the award of contract for a POWER PROJECTS in the SOUTH-EAST to a BROTHER-IN-LAW OF LIYEL IMOKE WHICH WAS NOT EXECUTED. WE INVITE YOU ALSO TO INVESTIGATE THE AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR A POWER PROJECTS IN RIVERS STATE TO A COMPANY WHICH BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS HEADED BY A FORMER SENATOR FROM AKWA IBOM STATE, WHO IS A WELL KNOWN FRIEND AND CRONY OF LIYEL IMOKE, WHICH WAS NEVER EXECUTED. WE FURTHER INVITE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THOSE BEHIND THE FLOATING OF A MAJOR AIRLINE COMPANY WHICH LIYEL IMOKE HAS SUBSTANTIAL INTEREST. IT IS ALLEGED THAT THIS SAME FORMER SENATOR FROM AKWA IBOM IS REPRESENTING THE INTEREST OF IMOKE IN THIS AIRLNE.THE SUM OF N80 BILLION WAS ALLEGEDLY MISAPPROPRIATED FROM THE POWER SECTOR IN A SHAM CONTRACT TO THE SAID SENATOR’S COMPANY, WHICH SUM WAS DIVERTED TO THE FORMATION OF THE SAID AIRLINE. IT IS FURTHER SAID THAT IMOKE WAS MADE A GOVERNOR BY POWER AND FORCE TO ACQUIRE CONSTITUTIONAL IMMUNITY TO COVER UP THIS HUGE EMBEZZLEMENT WHICH HOPEFULLY NIGERIAN WILL FORGET AFTER AN EIGHT YEARS TENURE AS GOVERNOR.

 

We also invite your Commission to investigate the scandal involving the concessionaire of the Ajakouta Steel Plant in Kogi State carried out during the tenure of LIYEL IMOKE as Minister in charge of the Steel Sector, which was done without the slightest regard for National Interest and the values of DUE PROCESS, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, and totally mired in deep seated corruption and graft of which LIYEL IMOKE AND HIS CRONIES ARE BENEFICIARIES.

 

We invite you to investigate the purchase of choice properties in Chelsea in the United Kingdom and in the United States of America by LIYEL IMOKE USING FRONTS.

 

Accordingly, from the above and other records, there is compelling and weighty evidence to justify  the immediate arrest of LIYEL IMOKE in the interest of JUSTICE AND NATIONAL SECURITY TO PROFFER ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS TO THESE GRAVE ALLEGATIONS OF MISAPPROPRIATION AND CRIMINAL BREACH OF TRUST.

 

If former Ministers such as Femi Fani-Kayode, Dr. Borishade and others have been arrested and charged for alleged misappropriation of a mere N19 Billion, there is no justification why IMOKE should not be arrested and charged for MISAPPRIOPRIATION OF PUBLIC FUNDS AND CRIMINAL BREACH OF TRUST   RUNNING INTO $16BN (SIXTEEN BILLION OF DOLLARS) IN HARDCURRENCY.IN THIS EPIC BATTLE AGAINST CORRUPTION WHICH HAS ASSUMED A FRIEGHTENING DIMENSION AND CANCEROUS IN NIGERIA, THERE MUST NOT BE ANY SACRED COW!

 

Yours truly

 

Okoi Obono-Obla


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