Michael Ojuroye Initiative (Ngo)

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 23rd 2013 Ogbonnaya and Mbajuwon The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested a retired naval captain, Okorie Ogbonnaya, for allegedly defrauding Oceanic Bank Plc (now Ecobank Plc) of over N540m. The commission also arrested Ogbonnaya’s lawyer, Emmanuel Mbajuwon, for conspiring with his client to perpetrate the fraud. EFCC Head of Operations, Iliyasu Kwarbai, told PUNCH Metro that 51-year-old Ogbonnaya committed the alleged  fraud under the pretext of importing bags of rice from Thailand for Cooperative Federation of Imo State. He said Ogbonnaya took a loan of N196m from the bank and also caused the bank to lose $2.4m after the bank had issued him a letter of credit to a foreign bank. He said, “Sometime in 2011, Ogbonnaya, who is the owner of Akaeze Ventures Enterprise, approached Cooperative Federation of Imo State saying he could supply them with rice below the market value. “Ogbonnaya was able to obtain a bank guaran...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 23rd 2013 WHY do you like courting controversy and cheap popularity all the time? Does it mean there will be no governance in ImoState without causing confusion to attract attention? Why creating and engaging in unwarranted political gimmick which was also evident when you were Senior Special Adviser to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Inter Party Relation, where you were fingered in the controversy involving then Chief Don Etiebet-led national leadership of the now defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, that destabilized the party. These germane questions are meant for the executive governor of ImoState, Chief Owelle Rochas Okorocha as he stirred another controversy in the commercial city of Aba recently on his alleged botc hed plan to secretly launch his Rescue Mission Programme and All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state. The choice of the venue of the botched event which was Abia State Polytechnic Aba, without informing or getting the per...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 23rd 2013 Embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, was on Wednesday absent at the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Oduah is currently in the eye of the storm over the purchase of two bulletproof cars for her by the Nigerians Civil Aviation Authority. The vehicles are valued at a whopping $1.6m (about N255m). Many stakeholders had been calling for her sacking or resignation while the Presidency had so far kept mum on the matter. State House correspondents who had resolved to take up the matter with the minister before or after the FEC meeting were disappointed as she failed to show up at the time the meeting started a few minutes after 10am.

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 23rd 2013 The presidency yesterday described as a “misrepresentation of facts” media reports that president Goodluck Jonathan will lead 19 states governors and 30,000 Nigerians on a pilgrimage to Israel. In a statement in Abuja yesterday, The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati said though the president will leave for Israel later today for a pilgrimage,  ”irrespective of President Jonathan’s visit, thousands of Nigerians visit Israel annually during the pilgrimage season which goes on for months and they will undoubtedly do so again between now and early next year”.  The statement reads: “President Goodluck Jonathan will late Wednesday embark on a pilgrimage  to Israel. “President Jonathan will also meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset. “Talks between President Jonathan’s delegation and Israeli government officials a...

BY: FUNMI OJUROYE  October 23rd 2013 Musa Yahaya challenges for the ball with Erdal Rakip of Sweden during the FIFA U17 group F match between Sweden and Nigeria at Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium on October 22, 2013 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by FIFA)  Coach Roland Larsson has rued his side’s 3-3 draw with the Golden Eaglets, whom he said should have been beaten in yesterday’s Group F match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup here. Speaking at the conference centre, Larsson said that his superior tactical play almost paid off against their more illustrious west African foes, who have won the competition three times. Sounding disappointed with the result, which puts them on four points heading into their final group match with Mexico on Friday, Larsson said that his players deserved all the credit for putting up a strong showing against Nigeria, who he described as one of the superpowers of world junior football. “It sounds so funny that one can feel disappointed when ...