VANGUARD
•Investigation of the failure of an oil company to pay the balance of $1.9 billion from an oil block it purchased in 2014 for $2.5 billion
•Investigation of the 80 armoured plated Mercedes Benz S Class found in the premises of an Abuja-based federal director.
•Investigation of some Directors in the defunct Petroleum Equalization Fund whom we found had over $5 billion in their accounts
•Investigation of $12.5 million contract awarded by the Nigerian Ports Authority to a company owned by a former Senator and now Governor to dredge the channel leading from the Atlantic Ocean into Calabar port
•Investigation of oil companies that refused to remit over $3 billion as royalties to the federal government
•Investigation of the purchase of a House in Asokoro Abuja by a then-serving federal permanent secretary
•Investigation of offshores assets of some members of the National Assembly
•Investigation of the failure of commercial banks to remit over N38 trillion collected by them as stamp duties as of 2019
•Investigation of illegal take over of the building belonging to the National Board for Technical Education in Maitama, Abuja by a Nigerian billionaire from Katsina State
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
Barrister Okoi Obono-Obla was appointed Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property by former President Muhammadu Buhari but was booted out a few months after his appointment.
In this interview, the outspoken human rights activist explains how some powerful members of the then government he describes as patrons of corruption forced him out for investigating highly placed cronies of the government.
Excerpts:
You were among the appointees of the previous administration who fought corruption but you were booted out of office, what happened?
The patrons of corruption in Nigeria in collusion with fifth columnists in the previous regime were not at ease with my patriotic zeal, courage, resolute, strong character, and uncompromising approach to my schedule and decided to push me out by all means.
It started as far as January 2018 when I was served a letter from the former Attorney General of the Federation directing me what I should not do including waiting for mandate because I could investigate any matter. I was also stopped from talking to the media. It doesn’t need clairvoyance to tell one that all was not well when you are directed to wait for a mandate before you investigate cases of financial crime, economic sabotage, or grand corruption.
However, I disregarded the directives because they were illegal as the law that created the panel had explicitly spelled out the powers of the panel. Then again, on January 31, 2019, I received another letter saying that since I had refused to adhere to that I should only investigate cases selectively given to me by the powers that be, “the panel is suspended until further notice.”
Of course, I knew that the letter was coming from the fifth columnists in the regime, I continued to do my work until 11 August 2019, when I was suspended. While my suspension was pending, the panel was disbanded in September 2019.
I was investigating some dangerous cases that had remained a no-go area for a long time. Some of them included the $7 billion that was given to banks as bailouts since 2016, which they had refused to pay back; investigating the report of the Judicial Commission into how Nigeria Airways was bankrupted but which report was left to gather dust in government shelves, the failure of oil companies to pay to the federal government royalties and other rental fees amounting to more than $3 billion to mention just but a few.
It appeared there were sacred cows in the previous administration, why was it so?
That is a very difficult question, which I am handicapped to answer. It was strange that some people should be regarded as sacred cows by a regime that was popularly elected because it vowed to fight corruption and indeed made the fight against corruption as one of its policy thrust and cornerstone.
Only the minders of that administration can proffer an answer as to why it decided to treat some people as sacred cows.
Some critics have alleged that corruption was much in the previous administration, did you agree and why was it so?
Of course, otherwise, why would the previous administration decide to victimize, witch-hunt, harass, hound, and persecute people it had appointed to fight corruption for doing their work honestly and courageous
Some people have alleged that the EFCC and the ICPC, did not do much and only went after political opponents, why was it so?
It may be so because there was political interference and meddlesomeness that these agencies faced behind the scenes which hamstrung them from doing their work courageously, fearlessly patriotically and professionally.
Anti-corruption works are deadly, risky, challenging, and difficult and those involved or in the forefront should be protected and insulated from those who want to get back at them or wrought vengeance on them on account of their work. Therefore, where this is not possible, you don’t expect them not to succumb to political pressure and interference from outside.
What will be your advice to President Bola Tinubu on how to handle corruption?
There should be an overhaul of the governance structure of all anti-corruption agencies and the law setting them up. They should be insulated by law from political pressure and interference. The staff of these agencies should be protected from witch hunts, persecution, and victimization from private individuals and the government alike. This is the advice I have for him.
Can I know some of the challenges you had, those behind them?
Lack of financial support and other enablements by the administration.
For instance, to hamstring the panel, it was denied any financial backing.
Even the take-off was domiciled in the office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and I, as the Chairman, did not have access to it to run the Panel. The panel didn’t have an office until one was provided almost one year after it was set up by the FCTA.
After that, there was no money to furnish the accommodation until a federal government agency came to its rescue. However, because the staff were motivated by the ideals of patriotism, it was able to achieve what we achieved despite all these challenges.
I have also mentioned earlier the interference and attempts to control the panel, including pressure exerted on me to be pro-establishment and pander to some forces. For instance, when I attempted to investigate the illegal withdrawal of N10 billion from the accounts of the National Health Insurance Scheme in two tranches, I was issued a query after the attempt to intimidate me failed.
Some have alleged that you went contrary to your terms of reference, was it true, what were the terms of reference of the panel?
The panel was set up under the provisions of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act 2004.
This law is an old law that first came into force in 1984 by way of a military decree but was kept in the corpus of legislation of the country after the military handed power to civilians in 1999 even after almost all such military Decrees were repealed.
This Act provides for the recovery of private and public property from public officers who acquired such property by illegal practices, making use of their office. “Property” for purposes of this Act includes land.
To ascertain whether any public officer: (a) has been engaged in corrupt practices or has corruptly enriched himself or any other person; or (b) has by abuse of his office contributed to the economic adversity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or has in any other way been in breach of the Code of Conduct, the President may constitute a panel to investigate any matter with which the officer has been concerned in the performance of his duties or to conduct an investigation into the assets of any such public officer.
Offences shall be subject to trial by the Federal High Court. So does it make any sense by anybody to contend that I did not follow the so-called terms of reference when the law setting up the panel has explicitly provided the powers of the panel?
There were rumours linking Attorney General of the Federation and even Vice President to your removal. Did they play any role in your removal?
I don’t know the role both of them played, but from the onset, there were inferences in my work, which I have elaborately stated in my answers to your questions in this interview. For instance, the former AGF alleged that I was not a team player. He also said I was not given a mandate to investigate all the cases I investigated. From the above you can put two and two together and deduce things for yourself.
Can we know some of the cases that you investigated that landed you into trouble and those that had interest in them?
I can not pinpoint all the cases that landed me in trouble. But I can speculate on some of them, including the effort to recover $7 billion CBN bailout, the investigation of the failure of an oil company to pay the balance of $1.9 billion from an oil block it purchased in 2014 for $2.5 billion; investigation of the 80 armoured plated Mercedes Benz S Class found in the premises of an Abuja based federal director.
Investigation of some Directors in the defunct Petroleum Equalization Fund whom we found had over five billion and hundreds of thousands USD in their accounts, including properties abroad, investigation of $12.5 million contract awarded by the Nigerian Ports Authority to a company owned by a former Senator and present Governor to dredge the channel leading from the Atlantic Ocean into Calabar port which was not executed.
Investigation of oil companies that refused to remit over $3 billion as royalties to the federal government, investigation of the purchase of a House in Asokoro Abuja by a then serving federal permanent secretary in the name of her 8-year-old son, investigation of offshores assets of some members of the National Assembly, investigation of the failure of commercial banks to remit over N38 trillion collected by them as stamp duties as at 2019 to the federal government, and investigation of the take over illegally of the building belonging to National Board for Technical Education in Maitama, Abuja by a Nigerian billionaire from Katsina State to mention just but a few.
Do you think that you succeeded in the assignment given to you, what are your regrets?
Yes, I think in all modesty I made a huge impression and succeeded. Even my interrogators told me Chief Obla, you did a tremendous job, but you stepped on toes. Yes, I deeply regretted the shoddy manner I was treated.
The psychological trauma, sufferings, and ordeal my family and I went through when my traducers decided to launch their witch hunt, persecution, and victimization using the state apparatuses.
However, I am very proud of my service records, and it seems to me that despite everything, some people can still work selflessly, diligently, and patriotically for Nigeria.
Who issued the query?
The office of the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President is attached to the office of the Vice President. He queried me to explain who gave me the authority to investigate the withdrawal of the said N10 billion from the accounts of the National Health Insurance Scheme.
.During the time you were carrying out your assignment, did you for a day disagree with Malami or any other top person in govt, and what was the aftermath?
You can’t disagree with your bosses !!
Can you?
Did you take your matter to the then President, Buhari who appointed you?
There was a time when I became exasperated with all the intrigues, insincerity and double standards, and I decided to resign from the job. I confided in my friend and long-time political associate Osita Okechukwu from Enugu State, and at that time, the DG of Voice of Nigeria.
He advised me to see President Buhari.
I saw President Buhari, and he asked me to mention those who were frustrating my work. I briefed and mentioned some of the people frustrated with what I was doing.
After he told me to go and do my work.
Can we know those names you told the President that were thwarting your efforts and some of the things they did to frustrate you?
I have mentioned them throughout the entire gamut of this interview directly or indirectly. When somebody tries to control you or teleguide or dictate to you over a statutory job that has been
given to you; is that not an attempt to frustrate you?
If you have given a job and you are not funded, is that not an effort to frustrate you?
I have mentioned those who gave me directives on what to do.
Those who directed that the panel should be suspended as early as January 2019, those who issued me a query over an investigation I was doing.
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