Date Published: 10/29/09

Bode George rejects prison food

The jailed  former National Vice Chairman (South West) of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has rejected meals served the inmates of Kirikiri Maximum Prisons, Apapa, Lagos, where he is currently serving his sentence.

Instead of eating the food served all inmates of the prison, his wife,  Roli, has been bringing him meals, bottled water and other needs from home.

When P.M.News visited Kirikiri yesterday, Roli was seen with a big cooler containing the PDP leader’s food, some bottled water, a big leather box loaded with his clothes, blanket, bed spread and other items.

Some PDP big wigs were also seen at the prison.  The expensive cars they drove to the prison gave them away. P.M.News learnt that they were at the prison to console their political godfather and to brief him on party affairs.

They were believed to have held a closed door meeting with George.

The details of the discussion between George and the party faithful could not be ascertained. But a source close to the Kirikiri prison hinted that it has to do with the steps being taken by the party to bring him out of prison.

A reliable source informed P.M.News that Bode George has not yet come to terms with his present predicament.

“When he was first shown his cell room on Monday after he was jailed, he stood for some time, shook his head and was almost weeping,” the source in the prison said.

“Though his cell room was kept neat, even neater than some others, it has a single bath and a fan, Bode George continuously shook his head,” our source further explained.

Another source confirmed that preferential treatment was given to him. The prison officials took cognizance of his status in dealing with him.

Said the source: “We cannot keep him together with those hardened criminals.  We have to be careful in dealing with an inmate of his status.”

George, former Chairman, Board of Directors, Nigerian Ports Authority, was found guilty of corruption in the N84 billion fraud charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). With five other members of his board, George was sentenced to two years jail term.

Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, sitting at an Ikeja High Court in Lagos, found them guilty on Monday.

Others jailed along with George are Aminu Dabo, O. Abidoye, Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, Zanna Maidaribe and Sule Aliyu.

EFCC had charged the six accused persons before the court on a  163-count of contract splitting, abuse of office, disobedience to lawful authority by awarding contracts above the approved level and contract inflation, among others.

P.M. News gathered that George and other convicts have directed their lawyers to file an appeal against their conviction.  But they would remain in Kirikiri until their appeal is argued.

Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, who was EFCC’s prosecutor, has also vowed to pursue the case up to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, P.M. News gathered that the prison uniform Bode George and others would wear may be ready on Friday, as the prison tailor had already taken his measurement.

Courtesy PM News