+Says Labour minister is victim of political
witch hunt
A pro-transparency organization-HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION
OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has waded into the controversy trailing the allegation of
N2.7 Billion petroleum subsidy scandal allegedly linked to a company- The
Pinnacle Contractors Ltd allegedly linked to the Minister of labour and
productivity Chief Emeka Ngozichineke Wogu with a preliminary findings based on
available document obtained unofficially from Corporate Affairs Commission
and other competent quarters that the minister is not remotely linked with
the current ownership structure of the said firm.
The Human Rights group which supports the call by organized civil
society community for stiffer action by anti-graft bodies such as the EFCC and
ICPC against suspected fuel subsidy thieves, however stated that from the
facts it has so far gathered it appears as if some persons nursing Gubernatorial
ambition in Abia State in 2015 who perceived that the current Labour minister
being the most visible national political appointee from Abia state may be anointed by the party's national hierarchy to contest the
polls, may be the persons remotely engineering the carefully coordinated
political witch hunt campaign against the person and office of the current
minister of Labor so as to cause credibility deficit.
In a joint media statement by the National Coordinator Comrade
Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National media officer Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA also
disclosed that it has resolved to file a freedom of information request with
the Corporate Affairs Commission with a view to obtaining officially certified
true copies of the all the relevant registration documents on the
said The Pinnacle Contractors ltd so as to issue final report on our
findings concerning the raging controversy in few days time. HURIWA stated
a team of lawyers working for the organization immediately went into
investigation in the relevant government and non-Governmental quarters making
use of our extensive contacts and resource persons and have successfully
obtained what for now we verily believe to be genuine proves which for now
exonerates the Labour minister of involvement in the ownership structure of the
said company and we have also being informed that no member of the minister's
family benefited remotely or directly from the alleged fuel subsidy payment
said to have been made to the controversial company-The Pinnacle Contractors
Ltd.
The Rights group stated thus; “Based on currently available
information obtained from some competent sources by our commissioned team of
legal practitioners, we are of the view that the minister of labour Chief Emeka
Wogu could be a victim of political witch hunt from some adversaries. We
know that most Nigerians are determined to stamp out the hydraheaded monster of
corruption and economic crimes weighing down the economic well being of Nigeria
and Nigerians, but again in making allegations of such a damaging consequences
against a high profile public office holder, we must be conscious of the fact
that it is possible that overzealous political adversaries and opponents could
play on the intelligence of Nigerians to spread misinformation against certain
targeted persons especially the current Minister of Labour who has was recently
made the Chairman of a White Paper drafting panel by President Goodluck
Jonathan to work on the reports of the Nuhu Ribadu-led Special Petroleum
Presidential Task force. We plead with Nigerians to be patient and circumspect
in accepting hook line and sinker allegations of graft against any Nigerian
except and unless there are overwhelming evidence to prove otherwise in
accordance with section 36 [5] of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria of 1999 as amended".
The Rights group affirmed that based on its findings, the
following facts have emerged; “that the Pinnacle Contractors Ltd was sold to
Masters Energy Oil and Gas Ltd March 2010 for an agreed sum of which payments
have been effected in accordance to the sales agreement; that the resignation
of the Honourable Minister from the Board of Directors and Shareholder of the
said company was duly registered by the CAC on the 7th day of April, 2010 after
his formal resignation on the 9th day of March 2010; that after the said sales
and business takeover of Pinnacle Contractors Ltd by Masters Energy Oil and Gas
Ltd the new owners took over the affairs of the said company completely and ran
the enterprise without any recourse whatsoever to the Honourable Minister; that
their transactions were sometimes in August 2010, 5 clear months after they had
taken full and effective control of the company and that all documents relating
to the sale and transfer of Pinnacle Contractors Ltd to Masters Energy Oil and
Gas Ltd are public documents and are available to all Nigerians to see with the
CAC".
HURIWA stated however that it was happy that the Minister of
Labour and Productivity and the owners of the said company have al vigorously
denied the involvement of the current Minister of Labour even as the Rights
group wondered why it is difficult for doubting Thomases to appropriately
approach the relevant Government offices using the extant provisions of the
well considered Freedom of Information Act of 2011 to obtain any documentation
concerning ownership of privately or publicly quoted and/or registered
companies in Nigeria which are public documents at the custody of the Federal
Government which was the same authority that passed the Freedom of Information
Act of 2011 into Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
4/12/2012
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