REVEALED: How Orubebe Siphons Tax Payers’ Funds THESE are not the BEST of times for Godsday Orubebe, the Niger Delta Affairs minister. Still battling to wriggle himself out of the allegations of stealing and acquisitions of mansions in Abuja, made by the Dino Melaye, led network against corruption, Orubebe is again riding in another gathering storm of scandals. Indeed, playing the script of the Delta Elders Forum and leadership, Elder Edwin Clark, at a press conference in Abuja has declared Orubebe ineligible to hold political office in 2015, specifically he told Orubebe to forget his ambition of running for the governorship of Delta state in 2015. In a petition dated June 3rd 2013, which was sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on June 11th 2013 and entitled: A Petition on EconomicPersistent Corrupt Practices, Flagrant and Continued Disobedience of Law of the Land, made available to thisMagazine, a can of worms on the alleged corrupt practices of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe was opened. According to the petitioners, the Ministry of Niger DeltaAffairs, which was created in 2008 by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to address the lack of infrastructure, development that had led to youth restiveness and militancy, had become a conduit pipe where billions of Naira by the Minister in collaborations with contractors were stolen. Specifically, the group mention the proposed construction of Skills Acquisition Centers in each of thenine states that made up Niger Delta, for the purpose of developing, harnessing the talents of the youths of the area that produces the wealth of the Nation. Though this proposal was projected for the building of the skills acquisition centers, their construction for the intended purpose which they were made have been shrouded in secrecy, as the petitioners accused Orubebe whom they said in their petition came from a very small community of Ogboagbene in Burutu Local Government Council of Delta State, to have spent on a worthless canalization project which connects to nowhere( Canal to nowhere) at a cost of N1.2 billion. He was said to have equally spent over 3 billion Naira on building a concrete foreshore wall in his village, using contractors who were fronting for him, with a view of appropriating the money to himself. Mean while it was also gathered that the Skill Acquisition Center meant for Delta State is also built in his ward in his small village. Apart from the main contractors,rumor on the streets has it that all other contractors are his blood relatives who are fronting for him to collect billions of tax payers’ money. Another case where he showed his corruption tendency was in the case of Edo State Skill Acquisition Center, according to the report against the recommendation of Public Procurement, Edo State Acquisition which was awarded to Haglod Nigeria Limited was terminated. Godsday Orubebe was said to have re-awarded the contract to Messers TDCI-Sew Consortium for personal reasons borne out of greed and self-aggrandizement rather than for the good of the people. Global Village Extra gathered that the contract for the Edo State Skills Acquisition Centre was initially awarded in March, 2010 at the cost of N2.7 billion but was revoked by Godsday Orubebe and re-awarded to Messers Halgold Nigeria Limited for three billion, one hundred and fifty million, fifty-five thousand, one hundred and six naira, three kobo, in march, 2012. However, in 2012, the Minister cancelled the contract and re awarded it to TDCI-Sew Consortium on June 15, 2012 for the sum of N4, 627,222,904 without due process. Why the frequent cancellation and re- awarding? Why the inflation of cost each time these contracts are re-awarded? These are issues to be resolved if Nigeria must win the war against corruption, the petitioners said. The petitioners futher stated that in order to show the hidden interest of Godsday Orubebe which bothers on corruption and self-enrichment, by the time the tenders were opened on the 14th of March, 2013, TDCI Sew Consortium whom the contract was re- awarded to, was discovered to be a company not registered in Nigeria. Messrs TDCI-Sew Consortium was registered on the 18th of June, 2012 yet he and Godsday Orubebeas Minister of Niger Delta awarded him the contract. Also the Bureau of Public Procurement Report advised that unit of Messrs TDCI-Sew –Consortium was too highand cannot be justified. However, Messrs TDCI Sew –Consortium has a capital of N15 million only, yet the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, under Godsday Orubebeawarded a multi-billion naira Project to the company. However, it was gathered that the Bureau of Public Procurement in dissatisfaction with the actions of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs under Godsday Orubebe on Messrs TDCI-Sew-Consortium said “due process certificate of no objection cannot be guaranteed to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for the re-award of the contract for construction of Skills Acquisition center in Edo State in favor of Messrs. TDCI- Sew Consortium in the sum of N4, 627,222,904 but the certificate of no objection can be granted to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for the contract in favor if Messrs Halgold Nigeria Limited in the sum of N3,150,065,136.03.” However, instead of honoring the report, the Niger Delta Ministry of Affairs under Orubebe as Niger Delta Minister disregarded the report as Orubebe wrote a letter to the Bureau of Public Procurement making a case in favor of Messrs TDCI-Sew- Consortium in reference number MNDA/ID/247/Vol.IT/88 dated 2nd July, 2012, making a very strong case for the Messrs TDCI- Sew- Consortium despite their conclusions. Why would the Minister make such a case if Orubebe harbors no interest in the award of the contract? In another related development, Godsday Orubebe like any other government official and Minister was living in Ministers’ quarters, Minister Hill, Mabushi Area of Abuja. However, in the same area Orubebe was said to have acquired a land and secured the services of a construction company (Setraco) working in the East- West road to build for him a magnificent building on a plot at no personal cost. The property is said to be worth more than one billion naira. Aside the Setraco deal, he also got another construction company working in East-West Road(Gitto) an Italian Company to furnish the building lavishly at a free cost like a gift. Unfortunately, the Managing Director of the Company Collapsed in the office of Godsday Peter Orubebe and died later. Godsday Oruebe attended the burial in Italy. The petitioners added further that, surprisingly Elder Godsday Orubebe denied in widely carried news in electronic and print media, claiming that he was a tenant and the building does not belong to him. Meanwhile in a motion, Hon. Odeneyi Kehinde in his debate at the house of representatives moved a motionfor “disclosure”, the honorable said the motion had become very necessary following “disclosure of alleged corrupt practices labeled against a sitting Minister by some Anti-Corruption outfits in the country.” A summary of the allegation run thus; The Hon. Minister has paid for 20 many phantom projects. The Hon. Minister’s Bureau, is a case of Perjury if established, forinstance, he posited that he was a seating tenant at his Mabushi Multi-billion naira but searches from Abuja Geographic and Information Services proves beyond reasonable doubt that the property is not only his but it is in his name. These weighty allegations were at first rubbished and dismissed by the Hon. Minister the handiwork of his detractors and some mischief makers who were out for extortion. But what is baffling Mr. Speaker is not allegation of corruption against the Hon. Minister but the fact that neither EFCC nor ICPC has deemed it fit to wade into the allegation.” The Hon. Member in his motion further said; “we have seen how these agencies zealously pursue other far less allegations involving less than $5,000.00 issue. their silence on this matter is casting a very doubt on President Jonathan’s crusade against corruption.” Meanwhile the petitioners are asking; “Could the inability of EFCC and ICPC stem from the fact that Orubebe is super powerful and above the law as claimed? the petitioner added…/Global Village Extra Source: The Examiner
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 09:44:06 +0000
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