…As Allegations of attempted bribe taking, denials hit public domain
- Ekiti Governor fighting hard to stop allegations, Says ‘I was offered $80M bribe to change my position… But I rejected It’
- It’s a ‘contradiction, you demanded 10% from me.. You’re looking for money to run for President..’ Your claim.. ‘political demagoguery..’ Whistleblower Says
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s name has been consistently dropping in a messy bribery allegation bordering on the $418 million (N159 billion) judgment debts in relation to the Paris Club Refund.
Fayemi, Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) was reported to have demanded 10 per cent of the N159bn as kickback to make U-turn on his purported objection to the payment of the amount to consultancy firms and individuals who reportedly facilitated the Paris refund to the 36 states and 774 local governments in the country.
One of the creditors of the judgment debts and whistleblower, Dr. George Uboh, who made the allegations on behalf of five other beneficiaries of the judgment claimed that at different times, Governor Fayemi demanded 10 per cent of the N159bn from him and others via proxies.
The New Diplomat‘s checks show that the cut allegedly demanded by Fayemi equals N15.9bn of the total debt sum.
Following the whistleblowing, Governor Fayemi rushed to the press to deny the allegations. Instead he said he was offered $80 million bribe to withdraw his objection to the payment of the fund as NGF Chairman. He also said the bribe sum was scaled up from $40 million to $80 million to make him compromise on his initial stance against the settlement, something he claimed he rejected.
Recall the judgement debts were awarded to the consultants after back-and-forth court cases that lasted for years.
The New Diplomat recalls that the consultants, including Panic Alert Security Systems (PASS) Limited, owned by Dr. Uboh and Nigerian businessman, and husband of actress Regina Daniels, Mr Ned Munir Nwoko had secured a judgement purportedly authorizing the federal government to pay the sum of $418 million to them. The amount were proceeds from their consultancy/legal fees charged for assisting states and LGAs reclaim the sum of $2,689,279,365 as final payment arising from the refund of Paris Club loans by the Federal Government.
Ned Nwoko is laying claim to $142,028,941 (about N54 billion) following a consent judgment he obtained from the Federal High Court in Abuja in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/148/2017.
Other consultants include Riok Nigeria Limited who has a share of $142,028,941.95 (about N54 billion), Mr Nwafor Orizu is laying claim to $1,219,440.45 (about N464 million), and Mr Olaitan Bello has a share of $215,159.36 (N81.7 million). Ted Iseghoghi Edwards — $159,000,000 (about 60.5 billion) While Panic Alert Security System Limited, owned by George Uboh, is also laying claim to $47,831,920 (about N18.2billion).
The New Diplomat‘s investigations had earlier revealed that a leaked memo dated 14 December, 2020 by the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed to the Presidency, had recommended how deductions from allocations to states and local governments would be effected over a ten year period, to offset the outstanding financial obligations due to the designated consultants.
However, the NGF and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) have consistently expressed their opposition to the settlement of the judgement debts by the federal government.
Denying the kickback soliciting allegations, said to have sparked reputational issues for the Ekiti Governor, Fayemi was quoted by Premium Times as saying: “That allegation is not true. The allegation was sponsored to smear me and blackmail me to compromise my stand”
“The so-called creditors have rather been reaching out to me and sending emissaries to beg me to change my position on the matter.
“I was initially offered 10 per cent of the entire $418 million, which is about $40 million, to support the payment and I said no, this is not about me. Then the offer was raised to 20 per cent, which is about $80 million, but I still rejected it in the interest of justice and Nigerians.
“To be frank, I was alarmed that some persons sent to me could agree to discuss such an issue with me.”
Speaking on why he was not in support of the payment despite the court ruling that mandated the federal government to do so, Fayemi said he’s of the opinion that a forensic audit should be done on the judgment debts before going ahead to effect the payments.
But Uboh, who accused Fayemi of soliciting kickback from him and other beneficiaries of the payments, was not having any of the rebuttals by the NGF Chairman.
Reacting to Fayemi’s claims, Uboh, who runs a Whistleblower Network asked Fayemi to name the person who offered him $80M bribe he claimed to have rejected. He added that if the Governor gives the name(s), he would also reveal the names of two emissaries, whom he claimed solicited bribe from him on behalf of Governor Fayemi.
“Who offered you 80 Million USD? For what? What a contradiction! You are looking for money to run for president. How can someone looking for money to run for the highest office in the land decline $80 Million USD? Your statements on this matter are nothing but mere political demagoguery. If you name who offered you the $80 Million USD, I will name proxies X and Y. Period,” Uboh said.
Read Uboh’s Statement of Allegations Against Governor Fayemi
Uboh to Fayemi: You demanded 10%
I, George Uboh, unequivocally state the following in my own words:
After the report that Governor Kayode Fayemi demanded 10% from us surfaced on Friday March 26, 2021, Fayemi developed a conscience attack, then came out days later to self-servingly acquiesce to the fact that he was “offered” $40 Million, then later $80 Million USD. Why did he hide that fact when he was pontificating as the nouveau anti-corruption Czar in Nigeria? This alone should be enough evidence to TRUMP his holier-than-thou stance on this matter in the court of public opinion. Nonetheless, I will delve into the facts below:
On Friday January 29, 2021 a meeting was held in a former minister’s (name withheld) office in Asokoro during which time a purported proxy of Fayemi’s who had circulated a draft MoU among the four of us (judgment creditors) made a presentation to the four of us, stating that he represents Fayemi, that we should sign an agreement binding Fayemi and by extension the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), that by signing the MoU Fayemi will not oppose the payments to the four of us. I, George Uboh, was not comfortable with such move thus I demanded that the proxy (name withheld: A former minister who I shall refer to as proxy X henceforth) show us the nexus or link to convince us that Fayemi sent him. I also posited that Fayemi is not needed for me to get paid, because the President has approved the payment, and the process to pay was ongoing.
For sake of precision, however, I visited Fayemi through a mutual friend at his Guzape residence at 8am on Saturday February 6, 2021 during which time Fayemi emphatically told me that he did not send anyone as a proxy to negotiate on his behalf nor is he aware of the purported MoU. I left Fayemi’s home, called the DG Governors’ Forum Okauru, narrated what transpired at the meeting to him, then sent a message blasting the person who brought the purported proxy accusing him of playing 419 on us. I played my usual Saturday morning football at my residence, then travelled. I flew back into Abuja on Monday February 8, 2021.
On Wednesday February 17, 2021, I was called to a meeting to the same Asokoro office. I saw a powerful man (name withheld: who I shall refer to as Proxy Y henceforth) currently serving in this government, seated along with my colleagues and the host. I had kept them waiting for two hours; I apologized for keeping them waiting. Honestly, I did not want to attend the meeting when I heard on the phone that proxy Y came again to negotiate on behalf of same Fayemi. I remember telling one of my colleagues via phone conversation that I am busy, that he should ask proxy Y what is the cost-benefit to me. Meaning, proxy Y should explain how he is going to benefit me, and what is my cost. My partner insisted I come. At the meeting, I asked proxy Y what is Fayemi going to do for us? He said if we agree to a deal, Fayemi will not oppose our payment. I was rude to proxy Y. I told him face-to-face that: a) Fayemi told me face-to-face that he has not sent anyone to negotiate with us on his behalf; b) If Fayemi has changed his mind, proxy Y should show the nexus; and, C) Even if proxy Y showed the nexus, I, George Uboh, will not deal because President Buhari has approved my payment premised upon consent judgment, and that such approval is tantamount to execution of judgment, that I do not need the acquiescence or approval or no objection of a judgment debtor for me a judgment creditor to be paid-in other words, Fayemi has no service to render me. When proxy Y left, my partners got angry at me, stating that for such powerful man to leave his office to wait for me I should not have been that hard on him. I left angry too.
Proof that Fayemi sent the proxies: Daily, I kept pondering on the fact that it is unusual for these two powerful men, proxies X and Y, to have come to negotiate on behalf of Fayemi if Fayemi did not send them. I prayed over it as usual. While grappling with this puzzle, on Sunday March 14, 2021, I got a call from a number not registered to my phone; the man identified himselfas proxy X. He said it was urgent, that he needed to see me.
Within 20 minutes proxy X was in my home. He said George my brother, I am here to tell you that I appreciate your bluntness; I told xxxx that George was right to blast all of us, because a nexus-as George said-with Fayemi was not created and George has every reason to be angry; more so, after Fayemi threw me under the bus by denying me to George face-to-face. He said you are a whistle-blower, Fayemi will never admit to you that he sent me, but see the evidence. Proxy X then opened his phone and showed me for over 10 minutes all his communications with Fayemi on this matter and other matters. As I write, proxy X has written Fayemi a letter-excuse me, a stinker.
Fayemi’s ambivalence is not novel in criminal law. In the U.S, due to the lengthy sentence heroin carries, mafia bosses were known to hold meetings with over 500 men working under them ranging from the under boss to the consigliere to the capos and soldiers during which time the bosses would pontificate, grand stand and issue stern warnings to all that anyone caught dealing in heroin must be killed. You deal in heroin you die. Period; and some were killed. Late John Gotti did it, Vito Genovese did it, etc. What people did not know is that the heroin dealers that were caught and killed were actually working for the same mafia bosses. But because of the deal-in-heroin-and-die rule, the bosses will conveniently kill heroin dealers under this rule, but in actuality, they were killing them in order not to testify against them.
Then came Joe Valachi, a tough guy hand-picked by Vito Genovese, boss of the Genovese crime family, to deal in heroin on his behalf. Valachi was arrested, but before Genovese could kill him under the deal-and-die mafia rule, Valachi escaped, went to the U.S congress, exposed the mafia and testified against Genovese in court and exposed the fact that the drugs he was caught with actually belonged to Vito Genovese, the same man that was pontificating and warning everyone that if you deal in heroin you die. Genovese was convicted for dealing in heroin and died in prison. This analogy fits into the case at hand.
Governor Fayemi was actually writing to the president, the minister of finance, taking a tough stance on the matter in the press, thus creating the impression that he was against the payments; but under the table, he hand-picked two VIPs to come and negotiate with us, distancing himself from the negotiation and MoU.
Certainly, if the negotiation had worked without Uboh’s objection, he would have stopped opposing and when the payments are made, he would have claimed credit and get paid. But I refused to fall for that bullshit. Because I opposed the two proxies, he increased the tempo of his fight and opposition of the payment. A classic case of sour grapes.
Governor Fayemi, you are pontificating. There is direct evidence linking you to the 10% demand. I, George Uboh, will not in a million years offer you a dime to provide a non-service.
For your information, and I have elicited my opinion to DG Okauru this morning (Tuesday March 30, 2021), which is: my payment of $47.8 Million USD is premised upon a “Consent Judgment” entered into by the NGF and my company Panic Alert Security Systems (PASS) Limited stating clearly that the NGF will recommend PASS to the Attorney-General for payment which the NGF has done. Any action you take contrary to the terms of the consent judgment would be deemed inimical to that consent judgment in which case I will come after you in your personal capacity and garnish your 4 homes worth over 6 Billion Naira which I intend to blow the whistle on soon. If you want to pontificate to Nigerians as the nouveau anti-corruption Czar merely because you want to run for President in 2023, you are in for a rude awakening. I am not a politician, but I, George Uboh, will for the first time in my life publicly campaign against you and bring your secrets out in the open. I will dissect your hidden assets like a lizard is dissected in the laboratory. We have Ekiti State bank statements during your two tenures showing the inflows and suspicious outflows; we have evidence of your shenanigans as the minister of steel during which time foreigners plundered our mineral resources and carted away same under your watch, and with your full acquiescence.
I have kept quiet too long Fayemi. The job I did on this matter led to the sack of a sitting Federal Judge. I pressured a sitting judge to reverse a $478 Million USD judgment awarded to contractors that were not party to the underlying suit. I have sacrificed enough for my country way more than you have. After saving the NGF $478 Million USD and being detained, don’t I deserve 10% ($47.8M); or is it a case of the pidgin parlance “monkey work, baboon chop”.
My whistleblowing led (at least in part) to the sack of a sitting EFCC chairman. In 2019 alone I was detained for 101 days for fighting corruption. That is sacrifice and pain you can never bear as a man. Fayemi, you have unleashed the venom in me. Who offered you 80 Million USD? For what? What a contradiction! You are looking for money to run for president. How can someone looking for money to run for the highest office in the land decline $80 Million USD? Your statements on this matter are nothing but mere political demagoguery. If you name who offered you the $80 Million USD, I will name proxies X and Y. Period.
Dr. George Uboh
Chairman
George Uboh Whistleblowers Network (GUWN)
Chief Executive Panic Alert Security Systems (PASS) Limited
