The Nigerian Village Square - Adenuga, Fasawe, Atiku, Obasanjo and EFCC - A Chronology of Events (1999

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Mobolaji Aluko

Adenuga, Fasawe, Atiku, Obasanjo and EFCC - A Chronology of Events (1999 - 2007)

Monday, 11 September 2006

Compatriots:

The unfolding events in our country vis-a-vis President Obasanjo and Vice-President Abubakar are dizzying. They require careful handling for the sake of the unity and stability of our country.

Before any and all come to reach their own conclusions, it is important to sort out certain dates and events, so that some sense can be made of certain sequences.

The following is a best-effort attempt at placing dates, names and events into some perspective, based on newspaper and recent administrative reports.

Readers are enjoined to point out any errors or other important dates that have been omitted; that act will be appreciated.

Best wishes all.

Bolaji Aluko

1973

1973: With the promulgation of Decree No. 25 of 1973, the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) comes into existence

1999

May 29, 1999: Obasanjo, Atiku get sworn on for First-Term Presidency/Vice-Presidency

2001

January 17-19 2001: Abuja - Auction Bidding for GSM licences by fivecompanies MTN Communications, ECONET Wireless, Communications Investment Limited (CIL), United Nigeria Network and MSI-Celtel with licence for NITEL (reserved) conducted by NCC. First three companies win, each having paid $20 million and given 14 days to pay up the balance of $265 million.

January 29, 2001: Otunba Fasawe pays the V.P. QAbubakar Atiku the sum of N61million from his Mofas Shipping account with TIB

February 1, 2001: Provisional licences issued to MTN, Econet, CIL and NITEL by NCC

February 9, 2001: Deadline to make payments for provisional licences. Only MTN, Econet and NITEL meet deadline. CIL misses deadline.

April 2001: Otunba Michael Adenuga's company Communications Investments Limited (CIL) finally ruled as losing $20 million deposit for failure to pay up on GSM licence on time

August 8, 2001: First day that GSM services start in Nigeria.

2002

June 25, 2002: First placement of funds by PTDF with Equitorial Trust Bank (ETB), in the sum of $50million Dollars from the account of PTDF with UBA New York with knowledge of Vice-President Atiku

August 6, 2002: Otunba Mike Adenuga as Globacom pays $20million Dollars non-refundable deposit to NCC for the bidding of the Second National Operator (SNO)August 12, 2002: Nigerian Communications Commission announces that messrs Globacom Limited has been provisionally awarded the Nigerian Second National Operator (SNO) Licence and that will be issued with the SNO license upon payment of the balance of $180 million USD by the 30th of August 2002 (within 14 working days).

August 30, 2002: NCC announces that it has awarded the Second National Operator (SNO) Licence to Globacom Limited, on confirmation from the Central Bank of Nigeria of the receipt of the company's final payment obligation. Globacom Press Release: "The balance payment of USD180 million was effected today August 30, 2002 (Friday) at 5.25 PM Paris time through a Swift transfer from BNP Paribas to CBN/FGN INDEPENDENT REVENUE ACCOUNT A/C 400-939134 with JP Morgan Chase Bank, New York as directed by the NCC. With this payment Globacom has completed the SNO Licence fee of US$200 million as declared by the NCC having made an initial deposit of USD20 million during the auction process."

2003

January 7, 2003: VP Atiku pays an initial sum of N30million deposit from his Marine Float account in Bank PHB for the purchase of the property situated at No. 555, Ademola Adetokunbo Street, Wuse II, Abuja. NDTV later uses it as its Headquarters.

February 18, 2003: A sum of N250million from Mofas Shipping Company account of Otunba Fasawe in TIB was transferred to V.P.'s Marine Float account in Bank PHB.

April 10, 2003: Presidential Adviser on Petroleum and Energy, Alhaji Rilwan Lukman, who was the Chairman of the Technical Implementation Committee of the Fund, presents a memo to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

April 25, 2003: The sum of $125 Million is approved by His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for PTDF

April 29, 2003: The Vice President (VP), Abubakar Atiku, through a letter Ref:SH/VP/254 dated, grants approval to PTDF to invest the proceeds of US$125million in the following banks and amounts:- i) Trans International Bank (TIB) –US$10million ii) Equitorial Trust Bank Ltd (ETB)- US$115million.

May 29, 2003: Obasanjo, Atiku get sworn on for Second-Term Presidency/Vice-Presidency

July 17, 2003: US$62.1 million transferred to PTDF Dollar Domiciliary Account with ETB

August 20, 2003: PTDF transfers additional US$52.9 million to ETB, bringing total to $115 million as approved.

October 4, 2003: Otunba Fasawe remits the sum of N400million ($3.125 million, if at N128:$1).to the V.P.'s Personal Assistant Alhaji Umaru Pariyah

October 18, 2003: , The VP gives the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) approval to release $20m to PTDF, without referring this to Mr. President or to the Federal

Executive Council, following a request from the Executive Secretary, Yusuf H. Abubakar for an urgent release of the fund to enable him complete some un-named projects of PTDF. However, contrary to the purpose of the request to execute the projects, the ES placed the funds in a term deposit in TIB for 365 days at 1.75% interest rate

October 20, 2003: NDTV granted loan by TIB in the sums of N400million ($3.125 million, if at N128:$1). Chairman of NDTV is Otunba Fasawe, a long standing friend of the V.P.

October 22, 2003: Mofas granted loan by TIB in the sums of N420million ($3.281 million, if at N128:$1). Chairman of NDTV is Otunba Fasawe..

October 23, 2003: Ahmed Vanderpuije (the MD of NDTV) granted N300m loan by TIB through his other company Trans-Vari Services Limited.

December 10, 2003: SSS quizzes Fasawe over SAGEM ID card deal (involving late Chief SM Afolabi & Co.) but is released.

2004

January 1, 2004: N730million loan (or $5.703 million) was granted to NDTV by TIB

January 2004: DTV remits the sum of $6.5million Dollars to iGate in as its contribution to their joint venture to set up digital satellite TV and broadband Internet network

February 27, 2004: Mrs. Maureen Scurry, now Maureen Edu, a former employee of U.S Exim Bank as a Business Development Specialist on Africa who, that time represented US Exim Bank during the NDTV/iGate deal is wired sum of $100,000 to her personal account with FSB Washington DC by NDTV through TIB.

May 28, 2004: Congressman Jefferson addresses letter to President Obasanjo, reacting to allegations raised against him in a petition by Otunba Oyewole Fasawe. Jefferson explained that he learnt through Mr. Vernon Jackson, the Chief Exe-cutive Officer of iGate Inc that PTDF funds were to be used to pay for private business transactions between iGate and Fasawe's Network Digital Television (NDTV).

June 9, 2004: Obasanjo replies to Jefferson, promising to investigate the story of the use of PTDF funds for private transactions.

July 2004: $165million invested in ETB by PTDF returned to CBN, including the accrued interest, when directives were issued that all accounts of Government Ministries and Parastatals were to return to Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

2005

May 14, 2005: Obasanjo Presidential Library fund launched in Abeokuta, reportedly nets N6 billion. Dr. Mike Adenuga, chairman of Globacom Communications donates N250 million, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, president Dangote Group, N211.6 million and Mr. Femi Otedola, chairman of Zenon Oil Limited. N200 million, among several others.

June 21, 2005: An unsigned letter is sent to VP Atiku from Congressman Jefferson through the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, alerting him to "a U.S. company" [iGate] that wanted to invest $50 million to provide high speed Internet access in Nigeria using Nigerian telecom company Nitel's lines.

July 18, 2005; Jefferson meets Atiku in Atiku's Potomac, Maryland, USA home

July 30, 2005: US government alleges Jefferson got $100,000 in a leather briefcase on this day at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Arlington.

August 1, 2005: Congressman Jefferson meets with Vice President Atiku Abubakar at Atiku's Potomac, Maryland residence

August 3, 2005: Jefferson's Washington home is searched, and all but $10,000 was recovered. The rest of the money was stuffed in his freezer, wrapped in $10,000 packs and concealed in food containers and aluminum foil. The Kentucky and New Jersey offices of iGate are also searched.

August 3, 2005: VP Atiku's home in Potomac, Maryland, USA is also raided by the FBI over a $100,000 bribe allegation levelled against US Congressman William Jefferson, a Democrat from the state of Louisiana.

September 22, 2005: EFCC arrests Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) top notcher, Otunba Johnson Oyewole Fasawe

2006

May 3, 2006: Vernon Jackson, chief executive of iGate, pleads guilty to conspiring to bribe Jefferson. According to the prosecution, "Jackson paid $367,500 in checks and wire transfers over a four-year period to a company controlled by the congressman's wife in exchange for help promoting iGate technology in Africa. Jackson also gave the

company a 24 percent stake in iGate and paid for $80,000 in travel expenses on the congressman's trips to Africa to promote iGate, which uses technology to transmit data over traditional telephone lines." The estimated total value of the bribes is between $400,000 and $1 million.

May 16 and 17, 2006: Third-Term (tenure elongation) Agenda collapses in Federal Senate and House of Representatives respectively

May 20, 2006: FBI affidavit [filed on May 18, 2006 to support their application for a search warrant] enables the search of US Congressman Jefferson's congressional office,

FBI officials stayed for 17 hours collecting documents.

June 16, 2006: Jefferson is thrown off the Way and Means Committee by voice vote without debate by the Full House after House Democrats voted (June 15) to strip him.

June 22, 2006: Under the terms of a mutual legal assistance treaty subsisting between the governments of the United States of America (USA) and Nigeria, the USA authorities through United States Attorney's Office, Department of Justice via a letter Ref: MEW:DPW:KDL:AV 1 File 182.23818 requests the Economic Crimes Financial

Crimes Commission (EFCC) to assist the US Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) ongoing investigation of Congressman William Jefferson of violations of federal law, including offences involving bribery of public officials, wire fraud (deprivation of honest services and scheme to defraud), bribery of foreign public officials and conspiracy.

July 9, 2006: Otunba Michael Adenuga Arrested and Detained for Questioning by EFCC. He is released on bail two days later.

July 10, 2006: Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan rules that the unprecedented FBI raid of Jefferson's office was legal.

July 19, 2006: Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar denies that he accepted bribes or had a business relationship with Jefferson

August 7, 2006: EFCC writes to Atiku, asking him to provide documents in relation to US investigation of Jefferson

August 11, 2006: Muhammad Babangida, first son of former military president Ibrahim Babangida arrested EFCC from his Abuja hotel suite. He is released the next day.

August 15, 2006: Operatives of EFCC invade the head office of Globacom and went away with documents and computers

August 17, 2006: Otunba Michael Adenuga reportedly flees Nigeria

August 24, 2006: Date of 156-page EFCC Investigation Report Ref. EFCC/EC/01/104. President Constitutes an administrative panel headed by Attorney-General Bayo Ojo, and including FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, Education Minister, Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Minister of State for Water Resources, Mr. Dada and the National Security Adviser, Major General Sarki Muktar (rtd).

September 5, 2006: VP Atiku meets with adminstrative panel head by AG Bayo Ojo.

September 6, 2006: Obasanjo discusses EFCC report with his Federal Executive Council, after asking Abubakar Atiku to leave the meeting. Obasanjo forwards report to the Senate for its information and possible action.

In anticipation of 2007

April 14, 2007 - State elections (Governors, State Assemblies)

April 21, 2007 - Federal Elections (Presidential, National Assembly)

May 29, 2007 - Handover by Obasanjo/Atiku to new administration

Robot Robot is offline
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	# 1 /images/stories/aluko.Com...Read the full article. Posted by Robot\| 10.09.2006 23:12

myhotbrain myhotbrain is offline
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	# 2 Thank you Mr. Aluko for providing the time-line--chronoligical order of event as it occurred so far. Please wait for more revelations against the VP Atiku. Peace and Love. myhotbrain Posted by myhotbrain\| 11.09.2006 01:37

OMO AGBOLUAJE OMO AGBOLUAJE is online


	# 3 Good piece Prof! This, to an extent is giving us clearer picture of the situation and for those who want to be objective in their critical assessment and not just jumping the gun in position taking. May ur Days B Long! Posted by OMO AGBOLUAJE\| 11.09.2006 02:22

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	# 4 Hi, folks! Just a reminder: Precisely 8 months, 18 days, 4 hours, 20 minutes, and 34 seconds more to go, before 12:00 noon, Tuesday, 29 May 2007! Hip, hip, hip, hurray!! Muchas gracias. Don Juan Carlos ABRAXAS (III) Posted by Abraxas\| 11.09.2006 02:39

edoji edoji is offline
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	# 5 "But Fawehinmi in a 29-page statement argued that the Vice President could be impeached for gross misconduct under Section 143 of the Constitution. According to him, “if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Administrative Panel of Inquiry could come to the conclusion that the Vice President has not only abused his power but has corrupted his office, nothing more can amount to gross misconduct.” Gani, who painstakingly defined what amount to gross misconduct in Section 143 of the Constitution, contended that the facts, findings and conclusions against the Vice President showed that Atiku “not only violated Section 15 (5) of the Constitution which provides that the State shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power but also violated the Code of Conduct as well as his oath of office in the Constitution.” He said the facts of corruption against Atiku were so serious that no sane Nigerian could say that these facts could not amount to gross misconduct deserving of impeachment under Section 143 of the Constitution. The fiery lawyer also argued: “Once the Vice President is out of office, he can be arraigned before the court for corruption, embezzlement and fraud related offences under the EFCC Act, 2004. “The case of Spiro Thodore Agnew, a one time powerful Vice President in the United States of America is very instructive.” Gani said: “Impeached or not the Vice President can not contest the 2007 presidential election. Therefore, he will be out of office if not impeached on 29th May 2007. Thereafter, he can be tried accordingly in a court of law for offences committed whilst in office and/or before he came into office as Vice President. “It does not lie in the mouth of Atiku or any other person accused of corruption, fraud, embezzlement or any other criminal offence to say that there are other corrupt persons. “You do not justify your crime by a defence that there other criminals. So if you catch a robber, do you leave him to go scot-free simply because he says there are other robbers? That will amount to the grossest and most perverted illogicality and primitive lawlessness,” he submitted." ..........................THISDAY "More importantly, with the way Atiku was tossing Petroleum Training Development Fund (PTDF) funds up and down between two banks and among his associates, I wonder how he would have handled our national treasury if he were to become president of Nigeria. The impunity, the recklessness is breath-taking. Thank God Atiku will not become President of Nigeria." ..............................Simon Kolawole ka Chineke Mezie Okwu Posted by edoji\| 11.09.2006 03:10

gbite gbite is online


	# 6 Apparently a lot does not add up here. i think in its desparate bid to nail atiku, the E.F.C.C has done a sort of "wuruwuru to the answer" I dont see how they can nail Atiku with this. I am more perplexed at the Mike adenuga`s angle in all this. Pray, when has it become a crime for funds to be placed in a bank(govt. money or not) and returned to the depositor back end and with generous interests? In any case how come not much is happening at the T.I.B Bank end despite the non refund of its own P.T.D.F. deposits? I am more than certain that we have not heard the complete and true story yet... Posted by gbite\| 11.09.2006 08:51

Balance Balance is offline
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	# 7 My head hurts. Too much money, too much sleaze and revolving doors in Abuja. A friend of mine who happened to be appointed into one of the committees told me about this much money. In writing, it is overwhelming. Posted by Balance\| 11.09.2006 10:34

Taiwo Akerele Taiwo Akerele is online


	# 8 Prof, Thank you for updating our memory with events in Nigeria. i am really very sad that Nigeria is not growing. what can we do to avoid the road to 1966? Thank you. Taiwo, Lagos Nigeria Posted by Taiwo Akerele\| 11.09.2006 14:27

N.A.R. N.A.R. is offline
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	# 9 Prof, Great compilation. It quite clearly showcases the manner in which our politicians not only steal the money but use government money to benefit their friends. You know Fela had already told us...Dem go dey pass unde unde...ini ini...side side... and then gradually...gradually.... I had a discussion with a collegue to whom I said, well you know they say that the EFCC is selective in its corruption war. She had a great answer. Well even if the EFCC is selective everyone will see the result of what they have done and many will sit up and hopefully stop stealing. I agree with Gani. Atiku is out. What defence does he have? That Obasanjo was doing the same? Thats no defence. No wonder he wants to go to court. But I find it funny that he does not realize that the government will drag the case and the elections would be over before the case is finished! In fact I was / am expecting a return salvo from the Atiku camp. But lets face facts, Obasanjo is not running for office again and I doubt he can be impeached before the 2007 elections. So there would probably be no gain from the 127 revelations that the Atiku camp have. BUT! they can go after Obasanjo after he leaves office. After Atikus ambition has been truncated what good will that do? Now I have argued with people what have been Obasanjo's sucesses in Nigeria, most times I said GSM amongst others. But with the increasing amazing in depth revelations by the EFCC, I thnk it is safe to say that Nigeria will never be the same after the introduction of the EFCC. Those guys are going to go down in Nigeria's history books. But the battle is not yet over, so lets watch and see what happens next. This is the just the first move by Obasanjo in the chess game he is playing with both Atiku and IBB, we must wait and see what the response move is. Checkmate, draw or defeat? too early to tell. Finally, I do think that Obasanjo and the EFCC must have more arrows in their quiver. For I hope they are not foolish enough to play their best hand first. Signs of this is a powerfull man like Mike Adenuga fleeing Nigeria. Damn shame! Have you heard that before! That man must be amongst Nigeria's top 5 richest men and he has run away out of fear! (Or guilt). They must have enough against him to have made him really sweat and it takes a lot to make a big man sweat! Now I understand the stories on why Obj was pissed at Atiku on his handling of the privtization excercise and the rumor that Atiku was giving all the companies to his people...! Posted by N.A.R.\| 11.09.2006 16:27

gwobezentashi gwobezentashi is offline
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	# 10 Again, some random thoughts By Femi Orebe Events in our country today, many of them tear-evoking and caressing trepidation like you do a loved one, are cascading on us like the Niagara falls . Before you finish reading of attempts on the lives of politicians in Plateau, Anambra and Oyo states, you are confronted with news of the real thing – the cowardly assassination of gubernatorial candidates in Lagos and Ekiti. Hardly would that have sunk in than you hear of the news of the increasing militarization of the Niger Delta where on the last count some ten locals were dispatched to the great beyond in a macabre scene of sheer butchery. Then surprise of all surprises, the VP is being lined up for impeachment on the orders of his boss who will spare no effort in ensuring that Atiku does not succeed him. These and more are the thoughts going through one’s mind but some sure deserve some further treat THE PRESIDENT FINDS HIS VOICE: With the death, unsung, of the third term project, the Interim National government hallucination and the presumed demise of the other shadowy schemes that together would have made the 2020 project a reality, we, the citizens of this country are beginning to see the best of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. The president who on the inspiration of none other than Mantu has become the- ‘father, leader and founder of modern Nigeria’ because, according to Governor Attah, his remarks at their August 2006 NEC meeting, seven long years after assuming office, was inspirational and defining in content of the new PDP"- has found his voice. If this was not an egregious put down of Mr President, I do not know what is. Many would not be particularly happy being the leader and father of this new nation of assassins, 419ners and the lot. Nonetheless Mr. President waxed lyrical about a new level playing field in their party promising it would no longer be business as usual. But how many times have we heard these exhortations? The President further admonished the party to ensure that bribery and corruption are eliminated in the process leading to the election of candidates. We are waiting to see how he intends to keep this ‘fish out of water’ without asphyxiating it since these are the very things that constitute the oxygen on which the PDP luxuriates- swapping of candidates after elections, mugging, election rigging bribery of all shades et cetera. Of course the president has also returned to these refrains since. At Akwa Ibom, he decried violence in whatever form and at the INEC- organized National Forum on 2007 Elections – Preparing for Elections, Responsibility and Commitment in Nigerian Politics, he made his greatest denouement of what we know the PDP represents even though I suspect, he had only intended to profile some enemy within. Declared the President, ‘those criminals and crooks, persons of dubious character, the corrupt and the corruptors (SIC) and those whose track record are so blemished that no amount of white- washing, propaganda or re-invention of personal profiles can cover up their dirty past, must be prevented by all lawful means from further corrupting. contaminating and compromising our democratic process". Pray! Where was this president these past seven years? And could these words more appropriately refer to a Chris Uba, an Adedibu or those who are already in Nigerians’ book of political infamy but are needed by the powers- that- be as long as the various projects were alive and mushrooming or are they just the misdirected profiling of those individuals who do not see eye to eye with Mr President? In the matter of the President’s letter to the Senate to commence impeachment proceedings against the Vice President, a few things, some salutary ,some otherwise ,come to the fore. For one thing, the findings of the EFCC against the Vee Pee, if proved, are indeed mind- bugling and he may just have been guilty as charged if constitutionally prescribed procedures for impeachment have not been otherwise abridged . Whichever way this matter goes however, it is certain that, as we have always warned on this page, the PDP would have definitively started to self destruct. Of course, no hassles; it will be good riddance to bad rubbish. On the other hand, if the allegations get proven ,then the President would have been guilty of failure to observe due diligence in governance if he is now coming alive after three whole years and only because the FBI had requested these enquiries? Suppose it was the press that first scooped this? How many of such indiscretions, involving myriad other high and not so high officials of this government do we know are buried beneath the Villa or wherever it is they operate from? Could this then be because the President has been playing too much politics with governance or as Gani never ceases to point out, has there been one presidential trip too many? Also if as the Vice President has alleged, the interrogation of a close aide of the President, Mr Bodunde Adeyanju, was subdued, would EFCC not have proved the Odogiyan’s of this world right? http://www.thenationonlineng.com/dynamicPage.asp?id=16 Posted by gwobezentashi\| 12.09.2006 06:10

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