Exclusive Report: At last, Nemesis catches up with Gov. Peter Obi
•Gov. Obi's Aide Valentine Obienyem, arrested and released by 2am.
•Obi's brother & Partner, Ndibe, on the run from the authorities.
•Anambra cash laundered in new shopping complex in Kado, Abuja.
•Chima Okafor & Dubem Obaze jittery.
“Public money is for public use. If I take one Naira of tax payers money, let God punish my children” Peter Obi.
At the time of filing this report, 2pm of the 2nd of June 2009, Peter was holed up at Planet One in Ikeja sharing money personally to the Guild of Editors, with a view to killing the publication of his money laundry mess. At the same time simultaneously, a major robbery operation was taking place at Nkwo Nnewi, with casualties unfortunately being reported live to us. The army formation last week pulled out of the joint patrol in Anambra citing lack of payment by the Governor as their reason for giving up on their battle to ensure better security of lives and properties in Anambra.
For several months now, this investigative site has been reporting of Peter Obi's abuse of Anambra State funds but not many people were prepared to believe us. A number of visitors to our site believed these stories to be part of the propaganda that goes with politics. Ukpakareports.com cannot even blame anybody for not believing that 'Saint' Peter Obi, the innocent choir boy of Nigerian politics can be capable of stealing public funds, especially given his public posturing of anti corruption.
When Peter's media aide Mr. Valentine Obienyem in company of two mobile policemen set off from Awka early on Sunday the 31st of May 2009 to Next International complex located at number 7 Aerodrome Road in Apapa, little did they know that it was not going to be their usual once every two Sunday affair to Lagos, ferrying Anambra tax payers cash to the renowned money laundry company, Peter Obi's Next International Nigeria Ltd. This company has had over twenty years experience in the art of money laundry worldwide.
We are relieved that the truth on Peter Obi and his corrupt operations has begun to see the light after a long incubation in the dark, thanks to ignorance and propaganda. The tenets of justice and true equity in the pursuit of true democracy and transparency has caught up to the "pristine" Governor of Anambra State who only months ago, bought the award of the most prudent governor in Nigeria, and the best governor in handling public money by THISDAY newspaper, after Daily Sun made him the man of the year!!
Apparently not aware of being monitored for the last three months, Mr. Obienyem was not expecting the unpleasant surprise he got upon arriving with Peter's loot on Sunday afternoon, as a crack team of over fifty mobile police men pounced on them and arrested all four of them, including the driver. A quick search of the contents of the vehicle revealed the sum of N250 million, all in cash.
The bus carrying the suitcases filled with money was intercepted by the Nigerian Police at Next International Limited gate at No 7 Aerodrome Road, Apapa in Lagos. Apparently working on a tip off, laid siege at the Company's gate before the bus which took off from the Governor's lodge in Awka, Anambra State got there. Next International is Governor Peter Obi's private company.
The police which numbered over fifty, upon sighting the bus, impounded it and insisted that it was carrying arms and ammunitions. The occupants of the bus resisted all attempts to open the boxes until they were arrested and forced to open them up. Upon inspecting the bus, about 6 boxes filled with 1000 Naira bills were found. This prompted the Governor, 'His Excellency' Mr. Peter Obi, to fly into Lagos with Dana Airlines flight 9J 1998 scheduled to leave Enugu Airport at 4.20pm but eventually left at 5.04pm and up till 2am on Monday morning, the money was still impounded while the Governor was making frantic efforts to get the State Police Command to co-operate with him.
Obi's frantic dash to Lagos was to secure the release of Mr. Valentine Obienyem, who by then was still in detention. Peter Obi who was escorted to the airport by his commissioner for special duties, Mr. Emeka Ojukwu, also took suitcases full of cash on that Dana Air flight. He personally supervised the loading of the suitcases before boarding the flight in company of just one ADC who sat in seat 6b and a female companion who sat in seat number 7c while Peter sat in front in the business class section.
This comes at the heels of several accusations of financial impropriety against Governor Obi of Anambra State. It will be recalled that the State's Security Vote has been increased arbitrarily by the Governor and the money is strictly for his personal use while crime rate has increased. The local government fund has also been depleted by N68 billion and the House of Assembly is calling for account. Both Peter's commissioners for local government and commerce, Messrs Dubem Obaze and Chima Okafor are said to be very jittery as any EFCC investigation will be bound to land them in serious soup.
The Lagos police command through their spokesman Mr. Mba, confirmed the story upon our enquiry, pointing that the large sums of money involved is troubling and indicative of possible financial crimes. An anonymous source within the Lagos police command indicated his suspicion that Governor Peter Obi may have been using his operatives to launder the said money.
In addition, information indicate that the Governor's operatives who the Police have begun interrogating have begun to spill the beans on the real destination of the money. The Governor's aide who was arrested with the cash was later released by 2am on Monday the 1st of June 2009 and he is said to have issued the following false statement of defense;
“We have been inundated with calls for clarification on the allegation the one of Governor Peter Obi's aide has been arrested for purchase of firearms for election, others say he was caught with 2.5 Billion Naira on his way to Cotonou, others say something else. The story as presented is not the truth. No aide to the Governor is being held. What happened was that Mr. Ejike Onwosogbulu of Gliz Introvert Company was seen with cashed money not up to one tenth of what was mentioned. He has since explained that the money is from the payment of legitimate contract by Anambra State Government. The Governor, aware of the legitimate nature of the transaction, realizing that people will try to make damaging political capital out of this, and in line with his policy on transparency has called for full investigations into the matter to dispel the rumor and untruth being peddled now”
The fact is that Mr. Obienyem's story cracks open another vault of questions. As an Anambra personality who is a close confident of Governor Peter Obi, responded in confidence to Ukpakareports.com pointing out the holes in Mr. Obienyem's story. In his words, “where and when was the contract for to the tune of $2 million dollars published? Anambra State government usually publishes available contracts for tender using its own National Light newspaper. Which edition carried this advert for tenders? What was the process of bidding that gave the best offer that Valentine Obienyem had to personally ferry the sum of N250million in cash on a Sunday from Awka to the Governors private company in Lagos? Is Next International Ltd a bank where contract money is now stored or is the company now also dealing in government contracts as well as the usual trade in orange juice?”
Many of the informed observers of the Governor recall that the Governor had boasted in several fora that every contractor in Anambra State has a tax clearance certificate from the State. Of which now gives raise to the question as whether he can release a file copy of the certificate for this company in question? Other informed sources have in turn begun to raise pertinent questions such as - why is the offer from this company so unique to the Governor that he had to ferry the cash using his media aide to Lagos via his own personal company. Why ferry the cash on a Sunday? What is the great urgency about the contract that the cash could not even be paid to the company through their bank account? Can the Governor produce the government account from which the cash was drawn? Which ministry awarded the contract? In which Executive Council meeting was the approval for this contract given?
While most contractors in Anambra State are known to be owed by Obi's government, Mr. Obienyem expects Anambra people to believe that Obi will pay for a new contract in full, in cash and before its execution. Anambra is presently littered with abandoned projects as a result of non payment of certificates generated by contractors. Peter Obi spent the most Monday 1st of June, Obi at Nigeria Police headquarters in Abuja with Chief Victor Umeh, trying to douse the fire of the scam. They later went to consult Chief Patty Ikwueto SAN on the legal implication of the money laundering escapade.
The Governor's money laundry partner, business colleague and brother is currently on the run as he is now the first target of EFCC. Ndibe Obi escaped from the East via Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on Sunday 31st May 2009 evening, soon after Obienyem and the three others were arrested. A former staff of Next International, who left the company's employment last month, told us that many staff of the company have recently resigned upon noticing suspicious cash activities in the company and do not want to be linked to it by EFCC.
Here at ukpakareports.com, we have now gone one better with our investigation of one of Governor Obi's money laundry activities in Abuja. The picture published in this report, is the N7.8 billion Next International Shopping Mall project, located at plot 2, Kado, Abuja. The project is presently over 40% completed but what strikes as interesting is that Governor Peter Obi has been doing this project on a cash only basis. The contractor has never been paid one Naira in cheque, draft or bank transfer, since the inception of the project, only cash. To this, the question arises, can Peter Obi now show the world that “we” are liars and that the project is not his own, or can he prove to the world that “we” are liars, that even though the project is his own, some of the funding has been made through a legitimate bank transaction other than cash laundered from Anambra State treasury.
In another related development, Peter Obi's document titled 'Planning and Laying Foundation [Part 1], 'Our First 100 Days in Office', on page 14, Peter wrote: “Governor Obi stands on his promise to RESIGN any month he does not pay salaries and pensions as and when due”. As of June 2, 2009, Peter Obi has not paid a single salary for the month of May 2009 to any worker in Anambra State. However, Valentine Obienyem finds enough cash from Peter to rush down to Lagos for a very 'urgent' contract.
Unfortunate, it has become apparent that Peter Obi views himself as an Emperor in Anambra State and sees the State as his business Estate to the extent that he controls 100% of the government. Through this effect, he has distanced his Deputy Governor, his Secretary to the State Government, and has closed the office of the Chief of Staff.
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