Date Published: 07/10/09

Sir,

Ibori's N40billion AGRIC Contract

Recently the former FCT Minister El-Rufai spilled the beans and narrated how Obj dragged Yar’Adua to contest the Presidency. In what is now public knowledge, el-Rufai furthered on how Obj used Chief Ibori, then governor of Delta State when he sent him with a presidential jet to fetch his counterpart, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, then the governor of Katsina with the sole aim of drafting the latter for the presidency? Also revealed was how Ibori paid the N5million for the PDP Presidential Nomination Form for Yar’Adua. There was also alleged suspicion that Obj asked Ibori to raise the initial billions of Naira with which Yar’Adua kick-started his campaign.

Chief James Ibori since leaving office and after installing his cousin Dr. Uduaghan as the present governor of Delta State has been facing EFCC on account of corrupt practices which the anti-graft agency leveled against him as the governor of Delta State. It is being suspected that because of his contributions to making president Yar’Adua, the federal government may have been finding a way to discourage prosecuting James Ibori or at worst, give him soft-landing. Ibori is said to be influential in the running of the present presidency. 

With the latest story in Saturday PUNCH 5/7/09, page 7 that the federal government has awarded a N40billion Fertilizer supply contract to Ibori’s company, Notore Chemicals Industries (formerly NAFCON), may be one of the ways Yar’Adua wants to settle Ibori for all his support. But this fertilizer contract may have opened another forgotten issue of how Ibori got the fund with which he became the major shareholder of the (former) NAFCON.

Benedicta Apia, 199 Ezikwo Road, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State