A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, 18th August, 2009, granted leave to an application for an order of mandamus by the Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation (HRJPF) to compel the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to prosecute the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor for fraud or release the report of the Commission’s findings on Ogbulafor to the HRJPF.
It woul be recall that in a letter to the ICPC dated 4th July, 2009 titled “DEMAND FOR THE ARRAIGNMENT AND PURPOSEFUL PROSECUTION OF PRINCE VINCENT OGBULAFOR, CHAIRMAN, PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), FOR CORRUPT PRACTICES, RANGING FROM OBTAINING GRATIFICATION, EMBEZZLEMENT AND CORRUPT ENRICHMENT”, the HRJPF stated inter alia:
1. That within three (3) months of becoming National Chairman of PDP Prince Vincent Ogbulafor bought a house worth =N=400,000,000.00 (Four Hundred Million Naira) only from a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
We are aware that Prince Vincent Ogbulafor was not a business mogul before his assumption of office. Without doubt, the sum of =N=400,000,000.00 expended by Prince Ogbulafor is clearly an indication of corruption which should attract investigation and prosecution since he has no satisfactory explanation to give on how he came about such large sums of money.
2. In 2000, one Chika Nwadibia made allegations of financial impropriety against Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, who was then Minister for Special Duties (Economic Affairs), a position that conferred on him the power to supervise the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC). The substance of the allegation, then made, was that Prince Ogbulafor was a party to the embezzlement of =N=104,000,000.00 public funds, belonging to the Federal Government. The said allegation was fully investigated and the following facts emerged:
(1). The sum of =N=104 million, belonging to the Federal Government was distributed under the supervision and or connivance of Prince Ogbulafor.
(2). That the Federal Government did not receive any consideration on the above sum as they were distributed and paid out for the execution of non-existent contract.
(3). That Prince Ogbulafor and several others shared the loot and doctored the papers to cover their paths.
(4). That Prince Ogbulafor, in a rare show of honesty in dishonesty admitted receiving =N=2 million from the said lump sum. He however, claimed it was ex-gratia payments to aid him pursue an undisclosed political venture.
(5). However, the sharing formula showed that Prince Ogbulafor was given =N=28m through one Chris Nwoke, who according to Prince Ogbulafor is well known to him.
The HRJPF had expressed immense shock by the refusal of the ICPC to act on the report of its case file with Ref. No. ICPC/P/NC/477/2005/37 on Ogbulafor, and therefore demanded the arraignment of the PDP National Chairman within seven days from the date of the letter. The HRJPF had threatened that if the Commission refused to prosecute Ogbulafor, it would proceed to a court of law to compel the Commission carry out its duties in line with the act establishing it.
It should be noted that it has become an unholy practice of the ICPC to sweep under the carpet reports of high profile cases it investigates. This does not only cast aspersion on the sincerity of the Commission to fight corruption but also ridicules it in the eyes of the International Community. A vivid example of this was the HRJPF’s petition to the ICPC over the forgery of the service records of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Nasir Arab.
As sworn enemies of corruption, the HRJPF, in line with its threat, applied for an order of mandamus at a Federal High Court, Abuja to compel the ICPC to arraign Ogbulafor.
Comrade Chidi Nwosu
President
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