Two persons, Vincent Suberu and Afolabi Adedeji, who were handling one of the projects of the Free Trade Zone during the Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration on behalf of a firm, International Development Group, yesterday escaped a warrant of arrest by the Osun State Commission of Enquiry, led by Prof. Femi Odekunle.
The commission said it has uncovered $1 million (about N160million) allegedly paid to Ecobank Plc, formerly Oceanic Bank Plc, to source and guarantee a loan for the Oyinlola administration but which the bank reportedly failed to execute.
The Regional Manager of the bank, Mrs. Adepuju Adenike Oduola, said the money was intact with the bank.
Suberu and Adedeji were summoned before the six-man commission in connection with a N1.1 billion and another $3million (about N480milliom) contracts awarded to their firm, International Development Group.
The commission is examining the circumstances surrounding the procurement of the loan and other major financial transactions of the Osun State Government between May 2003 and November 2010.
Suberu was represented by his three-man legal team of Kolawole Abiri, Gboyega Merotori and Dotun Oso. The lawyers told the commission why their client could not appear before it.
Abiri, quoting Section 7c of the Commission of Enquiry Law, said the commission did not have the power to summon a person who is not a Nigerian and not resident in the country.
He said Suberu is an American who is also not living in Nigeria.
The lawyer averred that a case on the matter of the free trade zone had been before a court since July before his client received an invitation by the commission in August.
The state counsel, Kunle Adegoke, disagreed.
He said all the claims by Suberu’s legal team must first be verified and established to be true.
The lawyer said the case in court is about the dispute on the relationship between the Osun State Government and the International Development Group and not in connection with the circumstances surrounding the award of the contract for which the commission was mandated to work out.
When the commission realised that the legal team was taking so much time with its lengthy presentation, Adegoke moved that the commission should go on a recess to deliberate on what to do.
Abiri asked for permission to brief Suberu on the matter. He promised to return to the commission on September 11 and 12 with a reply.
Prof. Odekunle overruled the arguments of Suberu’s legal team.
The chairman said the commission would have issued a warrant of arrest on Suberu as well as Adedeji, who was also connected with the project awarded to International Development Group.
First Bank of Nigeria Plc, represented by its Group Head, Public Sector, Ibadan Region, Mr. Timothy Olubanjo Arowoogun, said it offered a loan to refinance the failed N18.3 billion loan of the Oyinlola administration with a 10 per cent interest.
The governor said as Nigeria makes efforts to reduce its reliance on petroleum, all hands must be on deck to tap other non-oil sector to make Nigeria’s economy robust.
Aregbesola urged engineers to encourage governments at all levels to invest in infrastructural development for the socio-economic development of the country.
The governor added that it is incumbent on engineers to invest in the development of the profession to make it attractive to governments.
He said: “We should be more earnest in our effort to make governments realise that for us to realise our development dream, we must invest in and develop indigenous engineering. There is no other way. We can also champion the cause for the acquisition of s maintenance culture, which is one of the factors responsible for the continuous decline in the nation’s infrastructure.”
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mallam Musa Sada, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Linus Awute, said the ministry would develop and present a minerals and metal policy to the public.
The minister said this would be the basis for the establishment of the Mining Act and Mining Regulation.
He added: “At the moment, the non-ferrous metals and industrial mineral production appear to be dormant. But the outcome of the recently concluded Airborne Geo-Scientific coverage of the country by the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency has afforded investors information and data on mineral occurrences in the country.”
Source:Nation