Lai Mohammed, ACN, 2023 presidential politics linked to VON DG, Osita Okechukwu’s EFCC travails

A complex web of political intrigues as well as power play linked to All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) faction of the APC are said to be behind the travails of Mr. Osita Okechukwu, Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) at the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Okechukwu was recently invited by the EFCC and detained over an alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N1.3billion. He was, according to EFCC Spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, released on bail on Monday, January 31, 2022.

But sources close to the Ministry of Information and Culture say that the Enugu State born politician and close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari has been under constant harassment and marginalisation by Alhaji Mohammed and forces close to him, leading to the several moves made to force Okechukwu out of the agency that he was appointed to head on May 24, 2016.

Okechukwu has been a loyal supporter of President Buhari from their days at the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and has been a leading voice for the APC in the South East geo-political zone since the fusion of CPC, ACN, ANPP etc to form the APC.

One of the sources said that top officials of the VON, loyal to Mohammed were pressured to petition the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), which led to Okechukwu’s invitation to the anti-graft agency’s headquarters last Saturday.

The attitude of Mohammed and the ACN faction of the APC towards Okechukwu was said to have been further hardened by the VON DG’s support for the removal of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman of APC and his recent call on Asiwaju Tinubu not to run for the nation’s Presidency, but to remain a kingmaker and unite the South East and South West by supporting a younger person from the South East to succeed President Buhari.

Asiwaju Tinubu has indicated interest in contesting the presidency and the position of Okechukwu that he should step aside is being seen as an affront to the ACN camp of which Mohammed is a leading member. Alhaji Mohammed was Tinubu’s Chief of Staff when the Lagos strongman was two-term governor of Lagos and has remained a strong supporter of the Jagaban of Borgu.

The VON is one of the federal agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, primarily established with the mandate to broadcast Nigeria’s viewpoints and project the country’s positive image to the international community. The thinking is that if such a machine is left in the hand of a man who is opposed to the aspiration of the leader of the camp of the Minister, it would be a major minus for the Asiwaju, hence the offensive to ease him out at all costs.

Besides, Alhaji Mohammed is said to have a tradition of face-offs with Heads of parastatals and agencies under the Ministry, the most memorable being the moves that ended with the ouster of Ibrahim Modibo Kawu, a former Director General of National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).

Mohammed is likewise said to be having a running battle with the Governor of Kwara State, his home state, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, over his alleged overbearing posture.

Also recently, it was alleged that when some governors met with President Buhari, to complain about the poor management of Federal Government information platforms, Okechukwu’s name was linked to the complaint, with a source within the Governors’ forum disclosing that when the Minister heard that Okechukwu’s name featured, he swore that the VON boss must go by fair or foul means. This, the source said, prompted some senior staff of VON and some operatives of EFCC to bring up the petition, despite the fact that the ICPC had previously investigated the claims.

Mohammed is said to be so embittered with Okechukwu that he failed to announce the reappointment of the DG VON as he did for other heads of parastatals under the Ministry of Information and Culture when the President reappointed him last year.

Also currently, officials of the Information Ministry are meeting to review the NBC, but the VON DG was not invited by the Minister.

But an aide to the Minister who pleaded anonymity told our reporter that Lai Mohammed had no hand in the matter between the DG of VON and EFCC, insisting that Okechukwu should answer any questions he is confronted with. An EFCC operative also denied the complicity of EFCC in any plot to nail Okechukwu, pointing out that the petition against him came from his staff.

Checks by our reporter confirmed that Okechukwu’s invitation followed an anonymous petition, which claimed among others, due process infractions, that the DG VON, allegedly paid 2016 capital funds 100 percent the same year to procure some equipment and complete the multi-storey head office of VON off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse2, Abuja, a building that was by then said to be under interim forfeiture.

Our source said further that the allegation of a plot to bring Okechukwu down was supported by the speed and official push for the syndication of reports about VON Chief’s invitation by the EFCC by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), despite the fact that the correspondent of that sister agency to VON was allegedly not physically present in EFCC headquarters when Okechukwu came to answer the anti-graft agency’s summon.

Okechukwu’s invitation and session with EFCC investigators made headlines on television, social media and all major newspapers the following Sunday, according to the plan of VON boss’ traducers, thereby confusing the hand of Esau with the voice of Jacob in the matter.

Sources within EFCC, who are very familiar with the case told our reporter that contrary to insinuations in the media, Okechukwu was not detained by the Commission, explaining that what happened was that it was too late for the DG to produce two Directors from other agencies other than VON to surety him.

“We were very civil and courteous with the DG. We did not detain him per se, because what actually happened was that he could not get other MDAs’ directors on time to endorse his release.

“We deduced from the anonymous petition that it had to do with a running battle between the DG and his supervising minister. The petitioners alleged that he used the 2016 budget provision to acquire a nonexistent head office at Plot 1386 Oda Crescent Wuse II, Abuja,” one of the sources disclosed.

On the nature of defense advanced by Okechukwu, the operative said the VON DG denied the allegations in the petition that funds were embezzled, arguing that all the contracts were executed, and that Voice of Nigeria is currently occupying its corporate headquarters situated at 1386 Aminu Kano Crescent.

“The DG informed operatives that what he did was in overriding public interest and on doctrine of necessity, stressing that shortly after his appointment, he sought for the plot of land allocated to VON in Abuja master plan, but was told that the plot was reallocated to Yar’Adua Center, as a token gift to Gen Shehu Yar’Adua, who is one of Nigeria’s heroes of democracy that paid the supreme sacrifice.

“The DG further told the interrogating team that he made acquisition of befitting corporate office his cardinal objective to upscale operations of the agency. He added that being a contemporary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that Voice of Nigeria needed a befitting office complex to house its systems and digitize its operations, especially as VON now has a lot of competitors,” the source stated.

EFCC sources said the matter of interest to the agency was whether there was economic sabotage or infringement of the procurement procedure, pointing out that the petitioners’ claim of possible diversion of funds is still being investigated as they allege that some in-house prices differ with that of National Information Development Agency.

He stated: “What our investigating team wanted to know was how the DG spent public funds when he had not acquired the house. They said Okechukwu’s defence was that he was reassured by Mr. President’s approval in principle in July 2016, and the cooperation of the Ibrahim Magu led EFCC.”

“However, Okechukwu maintained that given the dynamism of technology, the users of Short Wave transistor radio were on decline due to different geo-time zones across the world, where 5 – Europe, North and South America, Southeast Asia, China are no more using the short wave frequency. It was no longer serving the international audience as hitherto. As such it became imperative to go digital in line with contemporary realities in the digital broadcast world.

“I recall that the DG revealed that three months after his appointment he discovered that VON was merely squatting in Radio House belonging to a sister agency and he asked about the whereabouts of the plot in Abuja master plan. And they told him it was reallocated. He had his critical mandate to secure an office space for VON, digitalise broadcasting, provide staff housing and solar energy for the transmitter station.

“Okechukwu told operatives that the Commission took him around to inspect various properties before he settled for the one at the 1386 Oda Crescent, which was seized from the former Chief of Air Staff (CAS), late Alex Barde.”

“He disclosed that in July, that is less than three months later, he applied to the President, who graciously approved in principle and directed him to the Chief of Staff, who in turn directed him to the EFCC chairman.”

In the petition sited by this reporter, the petitioners said, “the irony of the situation was that at the time VON moved into the premises, EFCC had not secured final forfeiture of the property.

But, EFCC sources said Okechukwu claimed that it was because final forfeiture had not been granted that in 2018 Magu asked VON to rent the place at the cost of N86million, being the market value of the property at the time, so as to. have one leg in the uncompleted building since the Nigeria Airforce and others were making moves to take possession.

When contacted about the progress of the investigation and whether the DG VON was still in their custody, EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said that Okechukwu had been released since Monday.