If Okorie is corrupt as the Umehs allege,then high five to the EFCC. But we know EFCC is an instrument of political blackmail that acts only on the orders of the very vindictive 'big boss. We know that EFCC will probably never detain the likes of Babangida and Tafa Balogun who are proven corrupt criminals. I suspect this has more to do with APGA crisis than economic crime. It is a shame Ojukwu's APGA faction has reduced itself to a pitiful vindictive collective of clowns.
quote:
EFCC arrests APGA national chairman
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday arrested the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the party’s delegate to the National Political Reform Conference, Chief Chekwas Okorie.
Okorie, whose accreditation for the conference was yet to be released to him as at the time of his arrest and detention, was allegedly arrested based on a petition by a rival, Chief Mike Umeh.
Umeh and 30 other APGA chiefs have, however, been expelled by the Anambra State chapter of the party.
The Head, Media Relations, EFCC, Mr. Osita Nwajah, said he was yet to be briefed on the development when our correspondents called him at 7:10pm on Wednesday.
Nwajah, who said he was in Lagos, requested for time to make contacts with the EFCC office in Abuja.
At about 8.15pm, however, a top source confirmed to our correspondent that Okorie was “invited” for routine questioning. “It is correct that he was invited for routine questioning, but I can assure you that the EFCC does not want to be distracted by these high profile political cases. He must have been released by now.”
Big wigs of the APGA were still busy on Wednesday trying to get him released just as the NPRC, which had been operating for almost two weeks without any procedural rule, got its Standing Orders.
The ratification of the orders followed the submission of a report to the conference by the Prince Bola Ajibola-led committee, which was constituted on March 1 to prepare the ground rules for the regulation of proceedings.
The APGA Deputy National Chairman, South, Mr. Maxi Okwu, said Okorie was arrested by operatives of the EFCC on Tuesday.
Okwu, in a statement on Wednesday, said operatives of the EFCC came to the Abuja Headquarters of the party requesting to see Okorie.
The operatives, who did not meet Okorie, left a message for him to report at their office.
Okwu said, “Chief Okorie later in the day contacted their office and an appointment was fixed for 5pm at the EFCC office.
“Chief Okorie kept the appointment in company with my humble self, Chief David Ukeje, the National Administrative Secretary, some personal aides and the party solicitor, Barrister Okey Uzoho of Chris Uche (SAN) and co.
“We were kept waiting at the EFCC office, which was in complete darkness until about 7pm when power supply from NEPA was restored.
“At this stage Chief Okorie was shown a petition signed by Victor Umeh and co. and requested to make a statement in response to the petition. This was done and some documents tendered.”
Okwu said an officer later interrogated Okorie.
He added, “Eventually at about 10pm Okorie was informed that he would be detained overnight at the EFCC office.
He was further informed on his inquiry that his offence was ‘corrupt practices.’”
As at 6pm on Wednesday when our correspondent spoke with Okwu, he said that Okorie was still being detained. However, he sent a text message to our correspondent at 8.41pm, saying that Okorie had been released.
Okwu said, “Our party is particularly irked by this shoddy and obviously illegal and irregular action of the EFCC.
“We find it inexplicable that the EFCC had to engage in this subterfuge to detain our National Chairman. It is obvious to any keen observer that the purpose of this illegal and unconstitutional detention was not only to embarrass but also to put him out of circulation and allow his traducers opportunity to gain some political advantage.
“We are further disturbed by the trend in the APGA case which the EFCC seems to have advanced further where the accused is required to prove his innocence and not the other way round.
“We urge all our members nationwide to remain calm as we get on top of the situation. We further reassure them that the party is intact and that normal business activities at the national secretariat and indeed nationwide will continue in line with the constitution of the party filed with INEC.”
Also on Wednesday, the Anambra State Chapter of APGA announced the suspension of Umeh, the party’s candidate for the 2003 gubernatorial poll in the state, Mr. Peter Obi, and a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. George Ozodi-nobi.
The offence of the 31 party members, according to the state Chairman, Chief Okey Umeano, is their alleged complicity in the recent expulsion of Chief Okorie, by the Umeh-led faction.
Announcing the expulsion at a news conference in Awka at the close of the party’s State Executive Council meeting, Umeano said that the meeting ratified the decision following the recommendations of APGA’s state disciplinary committee.
At the International Conference Centre venue of the NPRC, Ajibola told other delegates that his committee obtained copies of the House of Representatives’ Rules of Procedure and compared them with the draft rules supplied by the conference’s secretariat.
He said the committee took into consideration the fact that the conference does not have the time to waste and could not afford to indulge in the use of a comprehensive rule of procedure suitable only for parliamentary debates.
Ajibola said the committee tailored the rules to suit the unique nature of the conference and ensure orderly debate and amicable resolution of issues.
Other members of the committee were Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim; Chief Afe Babalola; Chief Bon Nwakanma; Prof. Itse Sagay; Hon. Margaret Icheen; Mrs. Nkoyo Toyo; and Prof. Auwalu Yadudu.
Though the rules were adopted for debate on Wednesday, it could not be approved following prolonged deliberation on some of its provisions.
The former Senate Leader, Chief Olusola Saraki, and the former Senate Whip, Mrs. Stella Omu, wanted amendments to Order 1 that contained provisions on rules for the conduct of business.
Tobi was calling out delegates to make contributions to the debate from a list when some delegates, led by the National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Chief Don Etiebet, began to complain that the names were not on the list.
Tobi insisted that he was going to adhere to the list he had with him, adding that other contributors should check with the conference secretariat.
Another provision that was hotly debated was Section 3.6, which stated that a delegate desiring to speak shall raise his or her hand in his or her place and if called upon shall address his or her observation to the chairman.
A delegate from Akwa Ibom State, Ime Essien-Udom, wanted an amendment to the provision.
Essien-Udom wanted the section to indicate that any delegate who wanted to speak should first register with the chairman, through the secretariat.
But human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome, and some other delegates opposed the amendment.
When the debate dragged on, Tobi suspended debate on the matter and asked delegates to make written responses to the draft rules.
Tobi ruled that delegates who had different opinions on the document should write them down and submit such memos to the conference secretariat before the close of work on Wednesday.
The seven-page draft made provisions for rules of debate, arrangement of business of the conference, quorums, motions and amendments, code of conduct for delegates on the floor of the conference, committees of the conference, order in the conference and voting procedures.
Section 10.1 of the document provides that all decisions of the conference, at plenary and committee stages, shall be reached by consensus.
If this could not be reached, Section 10.2 said the chairman could adjourn proceedings to allow for further consultations.
Voting, according to the rules, shall always be the last resort.
Tobi said debates on the Standing Orders would continue on Thursday.
Have we not been told Okorie was the one who had a rapport with Aremu, what happened to that relationship? It will be good to know if he is corrupt, the case should be taken to court as all criminal cases based on the investigation of the police not a letter from Umeh.It should not be difficult to prosecute a man who has forged bank documents even in a jungle like Biafra Nigeria. By the time this is over, Aremu would have totally destroyed APGA using Ndigbo.
Arresting people and detaining them on the basis of a petition by Umeh strikes me as OPC level policing. It is beyond belief to see Ojukwu associated with the use of BiafraNigerian state security apparatus to resolve an issue with another Igbo man. Now I know what inspires the likes of Chris Ubah to burn down Igbo land, Tufiakwa.
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"Also on Wednesday, the Anambra State Chapter of APGA announced the suspension of Umeh, the party’s candidate for the 2003 gubernatorial poll in the state, Mr. Peter Obi, and a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. George Ozodi-nobi."
There goes the Anambra APGA mandate like I rightly predicted. Now watch for the instigators of this fight to begin showing their hands.
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Chekwas Okorie should wear his arrest by Obasanjo and his goons as a badge of honor. It is now clear that the Ojukwu-Umeh faction of APGA is the side working with Obasanjo. I did not see anywhere in that entire report where Ojukwu protested the arrest of a man who went to bat for him just a few months ago when he was being abused by the SSS. Considering the allegations and cross-allegations of corruption that is going on, soon, Ojukwu himself will be arrested, and he will be on his own.
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quote:It is beyond belief to see Ojukwu associated with the use of BiafraNigerian state security apparatus to resolve an issue with another Igbo man. Now I know what inspires the likes of Chris Ubah to burn down Igbo land, Tufiakwa. chiboy
I hear you clearly! Lest we forget what Okorie did for Ojukwu during the SSS saga with his unrelenting press releases. To buttress Dave’s eloquent point, Okorie should take solace in what also happened to the only decent man in the House, Haruna Yerima who was suspended for exposing institutional corruption of his colleagues and you thought this EFCC would notice?. We now know who’s in obasanjo’s payroll, guys. Isn't Okorie supposed to be in bed with obasanjo?
___________________ BIAFRA: The land of my ancestors now, yesterday and always. So it will be! Posts: 2482 | From: Ala Igbo | Registered: Apr 2004
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What is new? Nothing is new with the regime of Obasanjo. We all know that he uses instrument of government to harras those opposed to his policies. he also uses such to witchunt all those he feel had wrong him in the past and those planning to, in the future.
Why has this government refused to be accountable to the people? Why has this government refused to fight corruption in all facet of our national life?
Why has this government treated with kids gloves those that have wrecked more havoc on our national psyche?
The law should be no respecter of any one. If any one commit an offense, such should be tried in accordance with the law. This selective justice will only mean more corruption and erosion confidence in our nation. The article below sums its up better:
No trial for Balogun Al-Bashir Thursday, March 10, 2005 IT is in the true character of Nigerians, though with some measure of justification, to demand blood from the man-mounting frame of IGP Tafa Balogun, now starting retirement with a bowed head, after thirty years of service. But will the lord king of the Nigerian monarchy answer their prayers, his anti-corruption rhetorics not withstanding? For an answer, a reminiscence of the past is important. Take Chris Uba, the presidential lord-son and the god-master of Anambra rigging intellectuals. Well fortified in Aso Rock, he led a police coup in that miserable state, sure not without the fore-knowledge of his protector. In a classical coup operation, he sacked the governor by abduction. While this was on, his senior foot soldier, Chuma Nzeribe, laid siege on the State House of Assembly and compelled members, under the barrel of the gun, to approve the treasonable action. Unluckily, the lord king was busy in the sky and this provided his deputy the opportunity to foil the coup. It is believed that had he been on ground, Ngige would have been an ex-governor by now. Someone whispered recently that the monarch has not forgiven the dupty for this 'original sin'. While Nigerians were demanding for the blood of the coup plotters, a chrony was dispatched to sue the poor governor in an Enugu High Court and promptly the governor was ordered to vacate office and promptly also they withdrew his police details. It never mattered that Enugu State High Court has no jurisdiction over electoral matters in Anambra State or any other State for that matter. Indeed, disputes over election are subjects for respective State tribunals and not High Courts. Not resting on their oars, members of the Uba gang were to plot for deadly sorties. After recruiting some urban terrorists in Onitsha, (and with NEEDS providing poverty, there are quite many around) they marched on to Awkwa and caused lots of destruction worth N45 billion, according to estimates, plus 29 innocent lives. The institutions of democracy in the State, such as the Government House, State Assembly, the judiciary and the State Radio were reduced to rubbles as if to demonstrate their hatred of and for democracy. On the authority of the absolute monarch, Nigerians were told how the Ubas rigged the elections of 2003, in Anambra, the act of which benefitted the lord king. Remember, Uba once boasted that he was the master-mind of the victories of all elected politicians in the Southeast zone. So, it could be safely said that he applied same rigging power in all the states of the zone. For so many obscure reasons, which we don?t want to go into here, the monarch never felt it that the gang master has done anything wrong. All he got was a one month suspension from the PDP with Aso Rock covering up his numerous crimes. Without a mention of the case of Makanjoala and the former GMD of NNPC, who was accused, by the Fiscal Commission, of failure to account for N350 billion for each of four years, we all can deduce the direction of the monarchial mind. Let us ask, what do the GMD and Uba have in common? Simple. Inner knowledge of happenings. This has been their main shield and protection mechanism. Because they know too much, they must be protected. It is being rumored that important matters concerning the NNPC have never been brought to the federal executive council. It has remained the exclusive province of the GMD and the petroleum minister, who is also the Nigerian monarch. In the case of Uba, if his tongue is allowed to go loose and decides to spend a secret night in Daura, there may be serious explosions in Aso Rock. Put differently, his knowledge, of how INEC, the Police and other agencies of State produced the kind of sunslide victory in the Southeast zone will remain his armour of protection until Oputa II comes on stream post 2007 and for sure, there is palpability of this on the rock. But what do they know more than Tafa Balogun? Consider the following: The abduction of Ngige, the destruction of Anambra, the conquest and the massive massacre of innocent citizens by the force during the elections, the failure to unravel what many hold, rightly or wrongly, as state sponsored assassinations, how the presidential election was won and such other numerous underhand deals. Balogun knows all. Mark you, it was he who crowned the monarch. Under his command, the police successfully staged a bloody coup against the ballot and democracy. If, as same reports have it, that over 300 people lost their lives in the process of executing the coup, no military coup, in our history, has witnessed such a large number of victims. Therefore, the police coup of 419/2003, against democracy, led by Balogun, remains the most bloody in our national life. He knows the details of what happened, how it was done, who ordered it and more. He was, for all practical purposes, the king-maker and the executioner of evils. Given these facts, who has the moral conscience to touch him without igniting fire if he wishes to. The facts at his disposal are enough to protect him from the ravages of the lord-king on whose behalf he carried out numerous atrocities against the Nigerian people and democracy. In all he did, he was authorized to play the dirty game on behalf?. He acted under orders and since this was the case, he will continue to enjoy monarchial protection unit Oputa II. Worse things have and are being committed under this monarch than all previous administrations put together so much so that Oputa II is sure to be. Under IBB, we can only point at Dele Giwa. Abacha has Kudirat plus two others. As for Obasanjo, no less than 15, discounting the police massacre in 2003. There is no way we will run away from Oputa II post 2007 unless the monarch choses to play Kamuzu Banda but even after all things, it would still be. Back to our theme. Because of his role in the sordid happenings that diminished the nation, happenings which advanced the personal interests of the monarch, Balogun, like Uba and others, will remain to belong to the class of the untouchables and may be allowed to take the Makanjoala route. It is the way of the Monarch.
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quote:Confirming his release, Chief Okorie said that he was let off the hook at 9 p.m. yesterday. He said that he was treated courteously except that he had to sleep in his clothes on the EFCC’s common office on an uncovered local mattress that was thrown on the floor for him. He said he was confronted with Umeh’s petition and he showed them bank statements and other documents that proved his innocence of the charges.
People, when are the wicked liars going to start rendering their apologies to this young man whose heart is full of love, Okorie that is?
___________________ BIAFRA: The land of my ancestors now, yesterday and always. So it will be! Posts: 2482 | From: Ala Igbo | Registered: Apr 2004
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National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chekwas Okorie has attributed his detention travails to the hand work of former APGA Presidential candidate Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Okorie was detained on Tuesday night by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was released the following night.
APGA National Vice Chairman (South East) Benjamin Duru insisted on Thursday that the former Biafran leader and three of his allies should be held responsible if Okorie is killed.
Okorie, who spoke to Daily Independent at the APGA national secretariat on Thursday, demanded for an apology from the EFCC, for his unlawful detention. He threatened to sue the commission if it failed to tender an apology.
He also fingered one Jacob Nwokolo, as well as the APGA factional chairman, Victor Umeh, as working in league with Ojukwu to humiliate him.
He said, “It was Ojukwu, Jacob Nwokolo, using Victor Umeh, who plotted my incarceration”. He added that Ojukwu had made prediction when he passed judgment against him that he was finished politically.
“Umeh had given an interview to a newspaper in which he said that the EFCC will arrest me and send me to jail”, said Okorie.
. He added, however, that the government had no hand in the plot by EFCC to humiliate him. Rather, he stated that his release was effected through the order of a very highly placed government functionary.
“I must say that my fear of the involvement of government was allayed when it became confirmed to me that a very senior government official had ordered my release.”
The APGA chairman said the government functionary equally scolded the EFCC officials for detaining him, accusing them of trying to heat up the polity.
Okorie said the EFCC officials, led by one Alhaji Bala Ciroma (officer, crime) ordered for his detention based on a petition from Umeh, which he claimed was written on a fake APGA letter headed paper.
He said that the EFCC officials may have been induced by some people, especially his political opponents, to embarrass him and advised government to look into EFCC with a view to stopping some individuals from further embarrassing the government and the country.
Duru alleged at a news conference in Enugu on Thursday that Ojukwu, Nwokolo, Umeh and Peter Obi, who are dissidents in the party, were bent on killing Okorie.
Duru, while reacting to the detention and release of Okorie by EFCC operatives, claimed the intention of Ojukwu and the other dissidents was to kill Okorie as they had failed to get him implicated in allegations of corruption.
He said Okorie had done no wrong to warrant his detention by the EFCC alleging that the Nuhu Ribadu- led commission might have been compromised by the dissidents in APGA to persecute and embarrass Okorie.
He advised the federal government to call the EFCC to order.
According to him, "Chief Okorie has done nothing wrong. They have accused him of so many things and 80 per cent of the allegations are unfounded while 20 percent are being looked into by the courts. The federal government should be advised to check the excesses of the EFCC which behaves as if it has been bribed to detain our national chairman to embarrass him.
"Even though he has been released, we detest the embarrassment and condemn the overzealousness of the EFCC to embarrass Chief Okorie based on frivolous allegations made by expelled dissidents. Nwokolo is not even a member of the party”.
He added that the leadership of APGA in the South-East, was restraining restive youths in the zone from fomenting trouble over the embarrassment meted out to Okorie by the EFCC.
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