Business
How I collected $600,000 for Emefiele – CBN ex-director tells court
A former Director of Information Technology of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, John Ayoh, has explained how he collected $600,000 allegedly for contract gratification for the embattled ex-apex bank governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Ayoh, while being led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), on Monday, told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that he spent eight years in the apex bank.
He told the court that he received a letter from the agency concerning two transactions he facilitated through Emefiele.
Ayoh, Head of Procurement and Support Services, PSS Department, told the court that the first envelope containing $400,000 was brought to his house in Lekki.
In contrast, he received the second envelope containing $200,000 at the Tinubu Head Office of the CBN.
Ayoh said he was vested with powers to receive applications for the award of contracts to select successful bidders.
According to him, the first leg of the transaction was at his residence in Lekki Phase One, while the second envelope money he received occurred at the Tinubu Head Office of the CBN.
“The man to deliver the second transaction came to our office in Lagos, and I informed the governor, but he said he did not want to see a third party and that I should bring the envelope myself.
“I complied with the instruction and delivered it to his office. Mr John Adeola was the one I sent my address to, and he came to my house. He is the governor’s assistant, and the total money I received on his behalf was $400,000 and $200,000,” he alleged.
The witness informed the court that the vendors who allegedly brought the envelopes with money were in charge of implementing Netapp Storage Architectural and Infrastructural Services.
While under cross-examination by the first defence counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), he told the court that his schedule of duties did not include running errands for Emefiele, but he directly worked under him.
Ayoh confirmed to the court that Emefiele was not a member of the PSS but a member of the Major Contract Tender Committee (MCTC).
He added that he had never facilitated the commission of any crime.
Ojo asked if the witness wrote in his statement that he was forced to aid or abet the commission of accepting gratification.
“I do not remember the exact word that I used, and I did not write in my statement that I opened the two envelopes on the two occasions to check the total sum of money.
“I wrote a statement, which implied that the money in the envelopes was given to me to influence the contract award. I did not take part in the decision of the MCTC, but I recommended that the prize be given, and I was not bribed.
“The EFCC invited me on February 17. I was not arrested, but I returned home on administrative bail”, the witness said.
The witness told the court that he operated under duress while he received the two envelopes from the contractors.
“On your honour, did you indicate in your statement that you were acting under duress while running errands for the first defendant,” the learned silk asked.
The prosecution, however, objected to the question and argued that the witness’s statement was not before the court.
The first defence counsel sought to admit the defendant’s statement into evidence.
After that, Justice Rahman Oshodi admitted the witness’s statement (three pages) into evidence, following the arguments and counterarguments of the counsel.
The witness told the court that the instructions from Emefiele indicated that he bent the rules.
The judge, after that, adjourned the case until May 3 for continuation of cross-examination.
Emefiele’s counsel also pleaded with the court to release the defendant to him on self-recognition because he had not met with his bail application.
The learned silk, however, prayed to the court that the defendant would meet up before May 17.
There were no objections from the second defence counsel, and the prosecution left the decision at the court’s discretion.
Recall that a dispatch rider had allegedly collected $3 million in cash for the embattled ex-CBN governor.
Emefiele has been under investigation since his removal as CBN boss last June by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has again reduced its retail price for Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, to N965 per litre.
DAILY POST’s correspondent, who went around NNPCL retail outlets in Abuja, observed that the state-owned oil firm has adjusted its pump price to N965 per litre from N1040.
NNPCL filling stations along Kubwa Expressway now dispense PMS at N965 per litre.
This represents an N75 price reduction. Earlier last week, the firm had reduced its petrol to N1,040 per litre.
Meanwhile, the latest price cut comes after Dangote Refinery, in partnership with MRS filling station, reduced its petrol to N935 from N1,060 per litre.
Accordingly, Nigerians now buy petrol at N965 and N935 per litre at NNPCL and MRS filling stations in Abuja. The differential between MRS and NNPCL now stands at N30 per litre.
It was observed that a PMS price war has broken out between Dangote Refinery and NNPCL.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Monday, the national president of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, and the spokesperson of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Chinedu Ukadike, were optimistic about further petrol cuts amid competition.
DAILYPOST
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, has urged Nigerians to expect a reduction in the pump price of the product within the week.
It should be recalled that last week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and the Dangote Refinery reduced the ex-depot price of petrol to N899 per litre in Lagos.
PETROAN President, Billy Gilly-Harry, spoke on when the price change will take effect while appearing on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily.
“But I believe from today when members start loading from both NNPC and Dangote at this new price reduction, it will reflect in the market.
“But also I’ll give kudos to some of our members, some of the leaders in PETROAN, you know, that have done so well, especially in Abuja, for even reducing their prices to below N1,000 before even this announcement.
“So, we don’t encourage our members to try to sell products at a loss because our focus is to serve Nigerians. And the only way we can serve Nigerians is when we have the resources to be able to do that.
“The resources can only be there if we’re making marginal profit enough to pay for the cost of money and make sure that we continue to do business. So, never mind, you’ll see the translation of this reduction of prices in the retail outlets hopefully within the week,” he said.
According to him, the inability of members to sell in line with the new ex-depot price is due to some of them having old stocks that were bought at higher prices.
The PETROAN boss commended Dangote Refinery and NNPCL for the reduction in the price of the commodity.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has announced that the pump price of petrol will reduce to N935 per litre by Monday.
The development, according to IPMAN, follows the marketers’ new deal with Dangote Refinery.
IPMAN National President, Alhaji Maigandi Garima, who made this known on Sunday in Abuja, commended the Dangote refinery for the development.
According to him, the new price was necessitated by the reduction in Dangote Refinery’s fuel ex-depot price and uniform arrangement, which would enable marketers to sell at N935 in their outlets nationwide.
Gatekeeper recalls that Dangote Refinery recently announced a reduction in fuel price by 7.27 per cent from N970 per litre to N899.50 per litre at its loading gantry and provided generous credit terms to marketers.
In a bid to ensure that the price reduction gets to the consumers, Dangote Refinery signed a partnership with MRS to sell petrol from its retail outlets nationwide at N935.
The price reduction which is designed to alleviate transport cost during the festive period and beyond, has already commenced in Lagos, and will be applicable nationwide from Monday.
“Dangote Refinery has brought another new arrangement of loading and pricing by which marketers would pay a fixed ex-depot price of N899. 50k.
“The refinery is running a programme whereby it wants the fuel consumption across the country to be at the same rate. We are expecting the new arrangement to kick-start on Monday.
“We have been loading from the Dangote Refinery and the refinery is saving us in this festive period,’’ the IPMAN leader said.
Garima said the competition being witnessed in the downstream sector at the moment would see the price of fuel dropping continuously.
He recalled that during the 2023 Yuletide, a litre of fuel was sold at N2000 in the northern and eastern parts of the country because fuel was being imported at that period.
He noted that the highest price fuel is being sold in the areas currently is N1,100, because refineries are working in the country.
He equally commended the Naira for the crude swap deal, adding that it is good for the growth of the economy.
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