We saw Ifeanyi Ubah’s problem coming –Primate Ayodele

If the embattled Capital Oil and Gas Limited boss, Ifeanyi Ubah, had taken the prediction of Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele of INRI Evangelical Church Worldwide seriously, perhaps he would not have ran into the murky water he has ran into with his business partner, Cosmas Maduka of Coscharis Limited.

And according to the seer, who predicted the gruesome murder of Alhaji Kudirat Abiola during the struggle for the release of Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of June 12 presidential election, what is happening to Ubah is just a tip of the iceberg of what is ahead of him unless he goes back to God in prayer for protection.

In an exclusive interview with Saturday Independent in his Oka Afa, Isolo, Lagos State based church last week, Ayodele said “what is happening to Capital Oil boss, Ifeanyi Ubah, we predicted it.”

He said that not only did he saw the current travails of the 40-year-old billionaire coming but that he (Ubah) was informed and told what to do to avert the crisis.

“We sent him our book where all our predictions for the year are usually documented with a letter on what to do to avert the doomsday but he ignored it. He was not the only one, we saw the calamity that befell Governor Suntai and told him, same for the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom. We sent the book to him but he did not act on it. In fact, what is happening to him is a child's play compared to what we saw,” Ayodele said.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have taken Ubah and his Capital Oil and Gas Limited to the cleaners over the statement that the court order shutting down the operations of the company could further cripple the supply of petrol in the country.

Nigerians who spoke to Saturday Independent wondered why Capital Oil and Gas Limited alone should be controlling about 35 percent of total petroleum product distribution in the country.

The company had in the statement regretted that those who want to take over Capital Oil and Gas Limited were unwittingly succeeding through the help of their friends in government.

The firm owned by Ubah, according to industry sources, accounts for an estimated 35 per cent of daily petroleum products distribution in the country.

The assertions by the company is coming against the insinuation that the recent court order against the company was aimed at both crippling the competitive edge of the company in the market place and aborting alleged moves by Ubah to contest the 2014 gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

Constitutional lawyer, Fred Agbaje in his reaction on Friday, hinged the blame on the Federal Government's mismanagement of the economy by handing out Nigeria's economy to people he described as “economic shylocks.”

“That is what the Federal Government's mismanagement of the economy has resulted into. Otherwise, how can an individual be so audaciously arrogant? Blame the Federal Government for donating our political economy to economic shylocks,” he said

Also reacting to the statement, a civil rights activist, Ayodele Kuteyi, wondered why the entire supply of petroleum products in Nigeria is left in the hands of Ubah and his firm alone.

“It is a very big shame to Nigeria. So one man is controlling petrol supply in Nigeria? Little wonder he is threatening the Federal Government that over 150 million people will suffer if they go ahead with the probe. Nigeria cannot continue like this. He should be probed and prosecuted if found guilty and I will implore the government to beam its searchlight on other subsidy fraud suspects,” he said.

On his part, Obi Asiekwue, while claiming that Ubah's trial has some political undertones said that Capital Oil and Gas Limited has contributed immensely towards reducing incidents of fuel scarcity in the country.

He, however, said that the court should be the decider on whether Ubah is guilty of the charges leveled against him or not.

“I think the young man (Ubah) has done a lot in salvaging the perennial volumes of fuel scarcity in this country. If he is found wanting, then let the court decide. This politics of acrimony and pull him down syndrome should stop because it portends danger in our political topography and polity,” Asiekwue said.

Capital Oil and Gas Limited operations was suspended following a court order by Justice A. Abdul-Kafarati of the Federal High Court Abuja which mandated the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to take possession of all the properties and assets of Capital Oil and Gas limited pending the resolution of all outstanding issues with the firm.

Capital Oil and Gas limited has been in court with Coscharis Limited and Access Bank over allegation of breach of contract on importation and distribution of petroleum products.