- Tips Ogaga Ifowodo as Replacement…
- Ogor Fights Back, Accuses EFCC of Chasing Shadows
By Austin Osayande (Abuja Bureau Chief)
Following allegations of corruption involving massive contract deals levelled against House of Representatives Minority Leader, Hon Leo Ogor, members of a pan-Isoko body known as the Isoko Progressive Movement (IAM) has commenced moves to recall the House member.
Speaking with The New Diplomat in Abuja, Barrister Okiemute Eta said the allegations and the subsequent freezing of business accounts allegedly belonging to Hon Ogor amounts to a “betrayal of the confidence reposed on him by the Isoko nation and having lost that confidence, we the Isoko people are commencing moves to recall him.”
According to the Abuja based legal practitioner, Barr Eta, “the group would soon address a press conference to announce the collection by signatures by the Isoko people, who are intent and bent on ensuring that they have a representative like Dr Ogaga Ifowodo as a possible replacement.”
He added: It is indeed sad and baffling that monies and contracts for constituency projects ended up in the bank accounts of companies allegedly belonging to our Representative, Hon Leo Ogor. That is totally unacceptable. Thank God the EFCC has blocked N116M already. He has to also give account of the other contract sums. But while that is on, he will be recalled because Isoko nation deserve credible representation at the National Assembly. That is why some of us want Ogaga Ifowodo whose progressive antecedents are well known.”
It would be recalled that Hon Ogor was recently enmeshed in alleged contract deals by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) which reportedly blocked over N116 million belonging to Hon Ogor. This followed a court order granted the anti-graft agency. The alleged sum of N116m which was blocked by the EFCC is the outstanding sum in the accounts of five of the six companies said to belong to the lawmaker with which he secured contracts from some agencies under the auspices of constituency projects.
Besides the freeze order, the EFCC is believed to investigating the alleged suspicious payment of over N318million to two of the companies belonging to Ogor by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The anti-graft’s agency’s investigations stems from a petition against the House leadership by the suspended Appropriation Committee Chairman Abdulmumin Jibrin on alleged padding of 2016 Budget and insertion of bogus constituency projects. According to insiders in the EFCC, “it was curious that Leo Ogor has 30 bank accounts, belonging to six companies with Ogor as the sole signature, amongst others.” Some of the companies included Laurelton Global Services Limited, Zanny Concern Limited, Racen Integrated Global Nigeria Limited, Simplified Concept Limited, Fergio Venture Nigeria Limited and Peanard Nigeria Limited.
But amidst the ensuing drama over recall or no recall, Ogor is fighting back, accusing the EFCC of pursuing “a non-issue”. He said: “If it is about Jibrin’s petition, it is not about passing budget padding? If they are investigating budget padding, what is the correlation between budget padding and constituency projects? Secondly, I am not aware of anything but the fact remains that these constituency projects are awarded by these agencies and they go through public procurement process and the essential thing is to go to the constituency and see whether those projects are on ground or not. For me, that is non-issue.”
He continued: “What is wrong? Is there any law that says Honourable Members should not do a job? The most important thing is to see whether those jobs were done. I think that is the issue. If the contract was awarded to a company that has relationship with me, is the job done or not done? That is the issue. You don’t make an issue out of nothing. The fact is that a company is a separate entity: you must understand that in Law. So if the company has a relationship with me and the job was done, what is the problem?”
