NIPCO Chairman, Chief Bestman Anekwe
NIPCO PLC, an oil and gas company led by billionaire, Chief Bestman Anekwe is currently entangled in a multi-million-dollar bribery scandal with the disgraced former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, THE WITNESS reports.
Dr. Anekwe is a former national president of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).
Recall that Emefiele was arraigned last Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alongside his co-defendant, Henry Omole, before Rahmon Oshodi, a judge at the Ikeja High Court, over a fresh 26-count charge bordering on fraud, forex abuse and bribery.
The two defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the 26-count charges preferred against them.
Justice Oshodi, however, ordered the remand of the former CBN boss, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), while his co-defendant, Henry Isioma-Omoile, should be detained at Ikoyi Custodial Centre.
In two of the 26 counts, the federal government accused the former CBN chief of receiving bribe to the tune of $27.2 million from NIPCO Plc.
The counts read: “Godwin Emefiele corruptly received $26,552,000 from NIPCO Plc.
“The ex-CBN governor corruptly received $740,000 from NIPCO Plc.
Ruling on the bail application on Friday, the presiding judge, Rahmon Oshodi, admitted Emefiele on bail in the sum of N50 million, with two sureties in like sum.
Emefiele, 62, assumed office on June 4, 2014, following the controversial dismissal of his predecessor Lamido Sanusi by former President Goodluck Jonathan. Mr Sanusi’s ouster raised public controversy because of ambiguities over whether or not the president had the power to sack the CBN governor.
Mr Emefiele was confirmed for a second term of five years by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2019, which will expire by June 2024.
On June 9, Tinubu suspended Emefiele and asked him to transfer his responsibilities to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, deputy governor, Operations Directorate.
The day after, the DSS announced that Emefiele was in its custody for “some investigative reasons”.
On July 25, he was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on “illegal possession” of firearms at a federal high court in Lagos and was granted bail in the sum of N20 million. The two-count charge was later struck out on August 17 after the federal government withdrew.
However, a fresh 20-count charge was instituted against him over an alleged conspiracy to carry out procurement fraud, among others.
Emefiele’s tenure saw an unprecedented depletion of Nigeria’s vast foreign reserves, as well as excruciating inflation via currency devaluation.
He is currently facing prosecution over “forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery and felony, procurement fraud and criminal breach of trust”.
Emefiele was one of the Nigeria’s most powerful persons under President Muhammadu Buhari.
The disgraced former bank chief made an unprecedented run for presidency and oversaw a much-criticised system of multiple exchange rates used to keep the local currency, naira artificially strong.
Also, his brazen-faced policy of redesigning of the naira cast a shadow of doubt on his sincerity and that of former President Muhammadu Buhari especially as it concerned the presidential aspiration and candidacy of Bola Tinubu.
Millions of Nigerians groaned under the controversial naira swap policy effected few weeks before the general elections.
Many accused the former Central Bank chief of orchestrating the currency redesign plan to prevent politicians from having access to funds needed for campaign and potential buying of voters.
Former President Buhari said the policy to redesign the high-value currency notes would help the economy deal with currency counterfeiting, excess cash in circulation and address inflation.
Analysts believe that this was far from achieved as the policy triggered instead economic disruption that led to chaos in the polity for both urban and rural dwellers who found it difficult to dispose of the old notes and acquire new ones.
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