Between Yinka Odumakin & Nduka Obaigbena! Who should be probed?

In response to call for his probe, Mr.Obaigbena, publisher of THISDAY, said he welcomes a probe of his assets and sources of income, as long as it within the law. He however cast aspersion on the integrity of his accuser, Yinka Odumakin and labeled him a lazy

and untutored spokesperson who has no respect for facts.

Continuing, Mr. Obaigbena asked, On the other hand who is Odumakin? What is his source of income? Is he employed? In a regular job or as just a political jobber? Mr. Odumakin, tell us who you are and your source of income.

Furthermore, he recounted his first encounter with Yinka Odumakin, saying

'The first time Obaigbena met Odumakin was when he came to Obaigbena's Ikoyi home for a meeting on free elections, with Bola Tinubu and others'.

'After the meeting Odumakin returned the next day, bad mouthing Bola Tinubu, claiming the former Lagos Governor had betrayed the elders of AFENIFERE and AD... etc... and then begging Obaigbena for money'.

'Today he is attempting to blackmail and badmouth Obaigbena... What a pity! What manner of a man is this'?  

Full text of Mr. Nduka Obaigbena`s statement reads:

Again, Yinka Odumakin has demonstrated that he has no respect for facts and calls to question the entire basis of his job as a lazy and untutored spokesperson for a respected former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, whom Obaigbena had the privilege of interviewing for TIME Magazine (of New York) a few days before the coup that overthrew him in 1984.

In response to a multi-billion dollar law suit where Odumakin is only required to prove his wild claims against THISDAY Newspapers, he is gone off again saying Nduka Obaigbena is an "associate of past and present government officials". Again we call on him to provide the facts as Nduka Obaigbena has never worked for government at any level nor has he been an associate of any government official dead or alive, past or present.   If Odumakin has any contrary fact, he should produce it now! On the basis of this faulty foundation built on lies, Odumakin then calls for a landmark ICPC probe of a private citizen. Not a problem. As long as it is within the law, bring it on as Nduka Obaigbena can account for his every cent in his over 30 years of entrepreneurship and journalism in the USA, UK, SA and Nigeria where he had employed and given opportunities the at least 7,000 persons   and their families, over the years, year after year!     

On the other hand who is Odumakin? What is his source of income? Is he employed? In a regular job or as just a political jobber? Mr. Odumakin, tell us who you are and your source of income. The first time Obaigbena met Odumakin was when he came to Obaigbena's Ikoyi home for a meeting on free elections, with Bola Tinubu and others. After the meeting Odumakin returned the next day, bad mouthing Bola Tinubu, claiming the former Lagos Governor had betrayed the elders of AFENIFERE and AD... etc... and then begging Obaigbena for money. Today he is attempting to blackmail and badmouth Obaigbena... What a pity! What manner of a man is this?  

Earlier, Mr.Yinka Odumakin via a petition dated Thursday, March 24, 2011 addressed to ICPC and made available to huhuonline.com, opined that   Nduka Obaigbena has been associated with previous and present   government officials since the 1990's and is 'a man of great but unexplained wealth, and called on ICPC to take advantage of the provisions of Section 44 of the ICPC Act 2000 which is intended to fight corruption, encourage good governance and criminalizes inexplicable or illegal wealth on the part of any associate of a past or present government official.

Citing section 44(1)(b) of the ICPC Act, the CPC spin-doctor held that   Nduka Obaigbena   be made to provide a written statement under oath or affirmation to identify, all of the properties he owns in Nigeria and overseas, as well as all his sources of income.  

In his petition, Mr. Odumakin said,
'Section 44(2) of the Act provides that should you have reasonable grounds to believe that Nduka Obaigbena owns, possesses or controls any interest in any property which is excessive, having regard to his past emoluments and legitimate earnings and all other relevant circumstances, to require him by a written direction to provide a statement on oath or affirmation explaining how he was able to own, possess or control such excess'.  

Mr. Odumakin demanded that if THISDAY publisher failed to explain satisfactorily such excess, he should be presumed to have used his office to corruptly enrich or gratify himself and charged with corruption accordingly.  

Concluding, Mr. Odumakin stressed that the criminalization of illicit enrichment or inexplicable wealth under section 44 of the ICPC Act is a valuable tool for prosecuting corrupt public officials and their collaborators in the private sector.

And wondered why ICPC has thus far failed to invoke this relevant provision: Hear him:   

'It is therefore a source of great frustration to Nigerians that, like your predecessor, you have so far failed to invoke this very crucial provision despite the relentless distortion of our social, economic, legal and political systems by past and present corrupt government officials and their accomplices in the private sector who continue to oppress us with their illicit wealth.'