Presidency Releases More Records of Obono-Obla’s Alleged Wrongdoing

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

The presidency yesterday reeled out several records of wrongdoing allegedly committed by the suspended Chairman of Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Okoi Obono-Obla, saying the embattled fugitive exchairman violated the mandate of the panel and engaged in all manners of rights' abuses, conduct and actions which exposed the government to ridicule.

Reacting to allegations by Obono-Obla in a letter he addressed to President Muhammadu on August 29, this year, where he accused Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of masterminding his travails, the presidency released several records of petitions written by individuals and groups either allegedly manhandled or extorted by Obono-Obla.

The details were meant to absorb the vice president of the allegations and expose Obono-Obla, who was last week declared wanted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), as rather the architect of his own misfortune.

According to the release, approval for the constitution of the panel under the chairmanship of Obono-Obla was formally made on July 27, 2017, by Osinbajo in his capacity then as the acting president on the recommendation of the then acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. (Mrs.) Habiba M. Lawal, pursuant to the provisions of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act Cap. R4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004.

However, the presidency said whereas the panel was only mandated to act on matters referred to it in writing by the president or his designate, Obono-Obla violated his job description and flagrantly abused the rights of individuals, government agencies, private companies, and simultaneously extended such abuses to foreign missions in Nigeria.

According to the realease, such flagrant abuse and maladministration resulted in a series of complaints and petitions which culminated in the intervention of the vice president through the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

It also said following the intervention, Obono-Obla submitted a written undertaking dated November 10, 2017, where he pledged to thenceforth "only act on a written mandate received from the Presidency, and will seek authorization from the Presidency to undertake fresh mandates in accordance with extant laws of the Federation.”

However, the release said despite the undertaking, Obono-Obla's alleged atrocities continued unabated, recalling how his abuse of office included applying for forfeiture of properties which it said the panel had no power to do even though "two courts respectively held that the panel has no powers to apply for forfeiture of properties" because "the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act 2004 did not empower the panel to initiate and prosecute criminal charges against anybody."

The presidency also recalled how the courts ruled that the panel's functions came to an end "upon its compliance with Section 4(4) of Act which requires it to, at the end of its investigation, submit its findings to the Head of the Federal Government."

Buttressing its submission that the presidency received several complaints and petitions over alleged abuse of office by Obono-Obla, it proceeded to release details of some of the atrocities as contained in the petitions.

"The under-listed petitions are just samples of dozens of petitions received by the Office of the Vice President. It is worthy of note that there was no referral to the Panel, from the Presidency, of any of the matters mentioned in the petitions.

"Petition dated 28 November 2017 from Ugochukwu Okwesili, Head Litigation, United Bank for Africa challenging a demand by the Panel for the statement of accounts of four of its customers in relation to a matter he claimed had been thoroughly investigated by the Office of the Inspector General of Police, the Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Ministry of Justice, and clearance was issued by the three authorities.

"Petitions dated 2 January 2018 and 16 May 2018 from Peter N. Eze, solicitor to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, challenging allegations by the Panel that the senator had illegally acquired the official residence of the Deputy Senate President and directive to vacate same and declare his assets to the Panel; and filing by the Panel of an application at the Federal High Court for an order to temporarily attach/forfeit certain properties of the Senator. The petitioner claimed that there was no prior invitation or impartial investigation by the Panel.

"Petition dated 8 February 2018 from Martin A. Aguda Esq. to the HAGF challenging the decision of the Panel to investigate a joint venture involving its client and the Nigerian Ports Authority in respect of the Calabar Channel Management, which was sub judice at the time; being the subject matter of Suit No. LD/3204SMW/2017 between Nigerian Ports Authority v. Niger Global Engineering and Technical Services Limited & 6 Ors and Suit No. FHC/L/ CS/1296/2017 between Nigerian Ports Authority v. Calabar Channel Management Limited & 2 ors.

"Petition dated 21 February 2018 from A. M. Ayine FCA, Auditor-General of the Federation to the HAGF requesting the latter to determine the question of whether the Panel had legal