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Companies Running Asaba Airport Declared Inactive, Dormant By CAC!
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Anti-graft Agencies, Aviation Experts Warn About Ethical Breach, Tighten Noose Around Outgoing Governor!
The last has not been heard on the N250bn fraud allegation that has thrown Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori and the PDP-led Delta government into an irredeemable mess as more unprecedented revelations have now unraveled the status of the front companies that cashed-out massively from the illicit sale of multi-billion dollar State assets in Delta.
The New Diplomat’s investigations reveal that most of the choice assets including Asaba International Airport alleged to have been inappropriately, fraudulently concessioned by the Okowa’s administration as exposed in an earlier report by this newspaper were acquired by FIDC Menzies, a brief case consortium which was hurriedly put together, with many of the companies making the so-called Consortium, inactive, indeed inoperative and dormant entities.
The New Diplomat’s checks at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) indicate that the brief case consortium firms, one of which was registered on March 27, 2017 with the registration number: RC: 1401570, has become inactive. Meanwhile, this medium had informed that some of the dormant companies namely Cybernetic, Asaba Airport company are said to be inactive by CAC as at today. Findings show that they were alleged fronts used by Okowa and approved by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Sherrif Oborevwori, to allegedly funnel multi-billion dollar assets belonging to Delta State government.
The New Diplomat’s further checks also establish that three companies that formed the brief case FIDC Menzies consortium have questionable operational status at the CAC as at today, March 15th, 2023. For example, while Asaba Airport Company Limited, Cybernetics and Quorum Aviation Ltd were all marked inactive, dormant on the site of CAC. Equally worrisome, Cybernetics Aviation Ltd registered in November 28, 2019, according to the CAC records, was barely a year-old at the time Asaba Airport was concessioned by Okowa/Sheriff Oborevwori in 2020, triggering a wave of concerns among due process operatives, anti-graft experts and aviation pundits on the competence and reliability of such brief case company to run aviation business where integrity, ethics, safety, due process and best global practices must not be compromised for political reward and mediocrity.
Commenting on the fictitious status of the companies, one top aviation source who spoke in confidence said “the qualification, experience, reliability, professional and managerial competence of the consultant or service provider and of the personnel to be involved in providing the services must be assessed and ascertained before government commits itself to any aviation agreement.”
Earlier, The New Diplomat had reported that the Asaba International Airport, said to worth about N200bn was allegedly concessioned to Okowa’s son in-law and the Governor’s yes men under an opaque Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement akin to the workings of an SPV through back channel. This has accentuated a flood-tide of petitions filed locally and internationally to investigate claims that they’re shell companies set up for financial manoeuvres and as conduit pipes for public funds.
“Before bidding for the takeover of government assets, the companies must have also exhibited experience and capacity to deliver the contract. They must have delivered similar contracts year in year out. These are fundamentals that must be part of the prerequisites for government officials to issue out a contract and it goes a long way in determining the efficacy of that contract and to also be able to totally measure and evaluate the performance of such contract and operational safety in the airspace,” said the aviation source.
Aside the allegations bordering on the fraudulent sale of the Asaba International Airport, The New Diplomat learnt that Okowa’s long list of financial impropriety includes the sale of Delta State liaison office complex in Victoria Island, Lagos hiding under the name of PPP as a guise; Delta Transport Service — Delta line; Sources revealed that the proceeds of illicit sale of Delta State assets were allegedly used by Okowa to acquire Vinmilan hotel and Resorts, Liberty Estate Asaba, Oko International Market, Asaba Leisure Park, Agbor Leisure Park, Premium trust Bank among other high-end acquisitions and properties.
On the international scene, emerging reports are gradually exposing how Okowa allegedly bought a massive mansion in Houston, Texas, United States, reportedly valued at about N3billion as impeccable sources revealed that the outgoing Delta Governor is currently “looking for a place of refuge to hide his face after the May 29 hand-over, so as to escape the massive looming probe” said to have commenced into sundry alleged dirty deals while at the helm of affairs.
Recall in the Part 1 of the #Okowagate investigation, The New Diplomat had revealed that Concerned Deltans in the Diaspora — a volunteer group tracking the ferreted funds overseas allegedly by Okowa and his stooges — has “petitioned the United Kingdom (UK) Home office alleging that Governor Okowa and some of his fronts have reportedly acquired some Franchises (including Supermarkets) and properties in the UK using fronts with illicit funds allegedly diverted from the treasury of the Delta State government.” The group went further to “urge the UK government under this existing framework and cooperation to help investigate these grave issues and initiate steps toward ascertaining appropriate mechanisms for advancing on the matter in order to deal a dead blow on corruption in Delta State under the last eight years of Okowa’s led PDP government.”
The New Diplomat gathered that already a crack team of investigators at the Assets Recovery Unit of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice are beaming searchlight around Okowa, his man Friday and PDP guber candidate in Delta, Sheriff as well as other persons of interest linked with the allegations of illicit finance. Earlier, this newspaper had hinted that top presidency sources informed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ICPC, and other anti-graft bodies operating in other climes: UK, US, EU, Canada and Asia are in a joint cross-continental collaboration to track and repatriate illicit movement of public funds in this regard following several international treaties and pacts against illicit financial flows between Nigeria and countries.
Efforts to reach Okowa’s spokespersons to hear their reasons for engaging dormant companies for the sale of highly priced Delta State assets and other graft allegations proved abortive as of the time of this reporting.
However, these mouthwatering revelations are making it to the public space ahead of this Saturday’s guber poll as Okowa and his preferred candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party continue to have their campaign bogged down by allegations of financial malfeasance and poor leadership in the oil-rich state in the last eight years, something which spelled doom for the PDP in Delta in the last presidential poll as Okowa lost the state despite being a running mate to the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
On top of the disturbing corruption allegations hanging on Okowa’s neck, the piling Delta state debt following the approval of every borrowing request brought before the Oborevwori-led Delta State Assembly up to the tune of N850 billion currently, has continued to rattle the Okowa/Oborevwori’s camps to their base.
A top PDP source and chieftain disclosed that “arrowheads in Sherrif’s camp are alraedy pointing accusing finger at Okowa for besetting the PDP campaign with his past corruption and actions. The whole PDP campaign now wreaks of complete mess and Deltans are pushing back at every move we make to penetrate communities for votes.” This is as bookmakers have argued that most Deltans armed with PVCs currently have their thoughts dominated by the Okowa/Oborevwori alleged illicit deals which has lasted for eight years as they’re set to make a profound statement this Saturday at the polls.
