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Tony Elumelu Denies Involvement in N141Billion NITEL Liquidation Fraud

Published

4 years ago

August 3, 2020

Editor

By Michael Effiong

Business mogul and Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr Tony Elumelu has denied his personal involvement or United Bank for Africa ( UBA) Plc, in the Nigeria Telecommunication Company (NITEL) N141 billion liquidation fraud allegation.

In the statement issued Monday, August 3, 2020 and signed by his lawyers; RA Lawal-Rabana (SAN) and Kemi Balogun (SAN), Elumelu described as “false, baseless, and mischievous allegation as neither him nor any of the organisations associated with him has ever been involved in or indicted for any fraud as was falsely alleged by Senator Ayo Akinyelure.”

Senator Akinyelure, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and public petitions has accused both Elumelu and UBA of involvement in a N41 billion fraud relating to the once state-owned telecoms company.

Elumelu expressed alarm and was appalled by “this deliberate peddling of falsehood and misinformation against an unblemished personal and business reputation, painstakingly built by our client over several decades with great personal sacrifice and unquestionable integrity.”

Elumelu who is also Chairman, UBA Group has demanded an immediately open, public and unreserved retraction of the said statements credited to Akinyelure and an apology from the Senator for the false allegation and defamation of his person.
The full statement reads:

“We write on behalf of Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, CON (our client) whose attention has been drawn to several false online publications credited to Senator Ayo Akinyelure, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privieges and public petitions alleging the involvement of UBA and indictment of Mr. Elumelu in a N41,000,000,000 (Forty One Billion Naira) fraud relating to NITEL in liquidation.”

“Our client is shocked by this false, baseless, and mischievous allegation as neither him nor any of the organisations associated with him has ever been involved in or indicted for any fraud as was falsely alleged by Senator Ayo Akinyelure.”

“Our client is also alarmed and appalled by this deliberate peddling of falsehood and misinformation against an unblemished personal and business reputation, painstakingly built by our client over several decades with great personal sacrifice and unquestionable integrity.”

“Our client rejects Senator Akinyelure’s attempt to use the platform of the respected institution of the senate of the Federal Republc of Ngeria to accomplish whatever uterior motives he may have.”

“It is important to emphasise that when UBA appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, attention was drawn to the fact that the facts and circumstances leading to the disputes on the alleged financial indebtedness was pending before the Supreme Court in SC/CV/112/2020.”

“It was resolved that given the pendency of the matter at the Supreme Court, it was sub-judicial and all actions on the matter be suspended. It is shocking and sacrilegious that a matter pending at the Apex Court could be subjected to debate contrary to the Rules of the Senate and by extension, the principle of law that when a matter is sub-judice, it should not be subjected to debate before decision is reached by

ELUMELU DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN N141BILLION FRAUD, THREATENS SENATOR WITH COURT ACTION

Banking mogul Tony Elumelu has denied his involvement nor United Bank for Africa Plc, in the Nigeria Telecommunication Company (NITEL) N41 billion liquidation fraud allegation.
In the statement on Monday signed by his lawyers; RA Lawal-Rabana (SAN) and Kemi Balogun (SAN), Elumelu described as “false, baseless, and mischievous allegation as neither him nor any of the organisations associated with him has ever been involved in or indicted for any fraud as was falsely alleged by Senator Ayo Akinyelure.”
Senator Akinyelure, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and public petitions, has accused both Elumelu and UBA of involvement in a N41 billion fraud relating to the once state telecoms company in liquidation.
Elumelu expressed alarm and appalled by “this deliberate peddling of falsehood and misinformation against an unblemished personal and business reputation, painstakingly built by our client over several decades with great personal sacrifice and unquestionable integrity.”
The UBA Group Chairman then demanded an immediately open, public and unreserved retraction of the said statements credited to Akinyelure and an apology from the Senator for the false allegation and defamation of his person.
The full statement reads:

“It was resolved that given the pendency of the matter at the Supreme Court, it was sub-judicial and all actions on the matter be suspended.

It is shocking and sacrilegious that a matter pending at the Apex Court could be subjected to debate contrary to the Rules of the Senate and by extension, the principle of law that when a matter is sub-judice, it should not be subjected to debate before decision is reached by the court. Therefore, the publications ascribed to Senator Ayo Akinyelure is in total disregard of the Rules of Senate and the Rule of Law.”

“Our client has instructed us to, and we have demanded an immediately open, public and unreserved retraction of the said statements credited to Senator Akinyelure and an apology from Senator Akinyelure for this false allegation and defamation of our Client.”

“We have our Client’s further instructon to take all appropriate legal actions against Senator Akinyelure and his media agents if our above stated demand is not met within seven (7) days of their receipt of our demand letter.”

Headline

Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

5 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

1 week ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”