Former House of Representatives aspirant and a political leader in Enugu State, Chief Emeka Aba, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through the appropriate agencies, to stem the tide of frivolous petitions against genuine and honest public servants, including Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
Aba also urged the President to protect Admiral Ogalla from the alleged “destruction” lined up against him by oil thieves and their representatives who have found the Naval Chief uncompromising and inflexible to their demand for “business as usual illegal bunkering deals.”
Chief Aba, who alleged that some top Nigerians who are involved in illegal oil bunkering have been busy writing spates of petitions aimed at painting the Chief of Naval Staff in bad light, said that the Federal Government should do everything within its means to ensure that genuine servants of the nation are not distracted or have their names dented.
The former House of Representatives aspirant said that available records show that since the coming of the current leadership of the Navy backed by the political will from President Tinubu, the fight against oil thieves have intensified, which has resulted in more arrests and seizures.
He alleged that “from all indications, the petitioners are doing the bidding of some frustrated oil thieves who want a return to the status quo so that their business can continue.
“I want to urge the Presidency to put its searchlight on individuals in government and their friends outside government who from all indications are finding the new wave of anti-oil theft very uncomfortable.
“Discerning minds find the process of one of the petitions against Vice Admiral Ogalla curious in that it was not directed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) or direct to the President or Chief of Defence Staff of at worst Minister of Defence or the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Ltd. But it was directed to the Minister of State (Defence),who immediately acted on it immediately.
“It’s curious that after the Nigerian Navy, in a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Rear Admiral Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, denied the allegations as untenable and baseless, the Minister of State Defence office spoke about it and elaborately too, in a statement to the media.
“I am of the view that if the federal Government is serious about tackling the menace of oil thieves which is injurious to our economy, it must look inwards at some characters in the government and fish them out.
“If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants its anti-oil theft drive in the Niger Delta to succeed, it must deploy all necessary machinery to fish them out and prevent unnecessary distractions from some ignoble characters.”
On January 26, 2024, Minister of State for Defence, Muhammed Bello Matawalle, had announced that the federal government has launched investigations into “the serious corrupt allegations” against Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
The Minister, in a statement by Henshaw Ogubike, Director Information, Press & Public Relations of Ministry of Defence, said that the investigations will be far-reaching because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has zero tolerance for corruption in Nigeria’s public service.
Matawalle therefore said this explains the imperative of a thorough and impartial investigation to ascertain the truth of these claims.
The Minister’s announcement followed a report by Peoples Gazette in a report on Friday alleging that Admiral Ogalla had accepted over $170 million in bribes over the past six months alone, accusing the Naval Chief of offering the services of the Nigerian Navy to crude oil thieves.
The newspaper alleged that on November 22, 2023, Ogalla awarded 30 contracts to a single firm at $537,672.45 each, totalling $16,130,173.5 ( or N22 billion at prevailing parallel market rates), It said that the malpractices were perpetuated in the process of procurement for special operations equipment and that the contract was split into multiple tranches to conceal its total cost and circumvent procurement regulations.
It continued further to state that Admiral Ogalla proceeded with the secret deal in violation of Section 20(2)e of the Procurement Act 2007, which forbids contract-splitting in any form and carries a minimum five-year sentence.
He was also accused of shielding some officers, bucking calls to transfer naval officers who have been found culpable of several unprofessional conducts.
But in the statement, the Ministry of Defence Spokesperson, Henshaw, said: “Though these allegations might be mischievous, the Ministry of Defence is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability within the Nigerian Armed Forces. The allegations leveled against Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla are serious.
“We respect the role of the media in fostering transparency and holding public figures accountable. At the same time, we urge responsible journalism that adheres to the principles of fairness, objectivity, and accuracy. Accusations of this nature can have far-reaching consequences on the reputation of individuals and institutions, and thus, it is crucial to avoid premature judgments.”
“In the light of the allegations, we assure the public that the Ministry of Defence will collaborate fully with relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter. We remain committed to the principles of due process and fairness, ensuring that findings will be based on concrete evidence and legal standards.
“It is our collective responsibility to maintain the trust and confidence of the Nigerian people in the institutions that safeguard our nation’s security. We call for patience as the investigative process unfolds and trust that justice will be served in accordance with the rule of law.”