Aganga interrogates OGFZA boss over alleged approval of N32.8m

MINISTER of Trade and Investment, Dr Olusegun Aganga, on Tuesday, interrogated the Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Onne, Rivers State Dr Noble Abe, over the allegation of approving N32.8 million to purchase office items for the use of the Abuja office of the authority.An Abuja-based consortium of law firms, Leslie Vera & Associates, had in a petition dated November 3, 2011, requested the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the operations of OGFZA as, according to it, 'there are evidences of fraud there'In an internal memo dated January 3, 2012 with reference number TS/DD/S.7, the Permanent Secretary of the Trade and Investment Ministry, Dauda Kigbu, directed Dr Abe to immediately comply with the ministerial directive of reporting at the Abuja office of the ministry with a written submission on the issue to enable the ministry know the facts in order to brief the Presidency accordingly.Kigbu further informed the OGFZA boss that the meeting which was slated for 11.00a.m. prompt in the office of Minister of State would be attended by the minister and himself (Kigbu).'I wish to refer you to the attached mail from the Honourable Minister of Trade and Investment and a news item purporting your being under investigation by ICPC on the above subject (Re: Point Blank News-N32.8million Fraud Rocks the Oil and Gas Free Zone-ICPC Investigates) based on a petition from Leslie Vera & Associates, a consortium of law firms in Abuja to the Commission' Kigbu wrote.In another development, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, is also beaming its searchlight on the activities of OGFZA over allegations of 'criminal manipulation and mischievous distortion to execute ethnic agenda' at the Federal Government parastatal, which was submitted by one Mr. David Funmi Omosule.
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