Date Published: 11/09/09

Revealed: Aondoakaa Received N40 Million bribe to Extend Okiro’s Tenure

Mike Okiro

Mike Aondoakaa

Nigeria ’s Attorney General and Minister for justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa allegedly pocketed about N40 Million to extend the tenure of former Inspector general of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro and appointed him Chairman of the Halliburton probe panel.

Okiro’s tenure expired in June 2008 but was extended till July 24, 2009 when he retired from the Nigeria Police.

Sources told Pointblanknews.com that the setting up of the Halliburton Investigative Committee headed by former IGP, Mike Okiro was after all a ploy to extend the tenure of the retiring police chief after a N40 Million bribe was alleged to have been received by the Attorney General and Minister of justice.

Okiro, it was learnt was desperately in need of a tenure extension to enable him as a source put it “clear up some files he has interest in and complete some of his projects.”

The bribe money, a source hinted Pointblanknews.com was said to have been agreed upon when it was apparent that President Musa Yar’Adua was bent on removing the former Inspector general of Police as soon as his tenure in the police was up.

At the April 1, 2009 Federal Executive, FEC, meeting, Okiro’s tenure generated a lot of argument. FEC members were said to be sharply divided on whether or not the IG’s tenure be extended. While some believed Okiro was being used by some top Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, bigwigs to undermine the Yar’Adua Presidency, others believed he should be giving more time.

Armed with what transpired at the FEC meeting, Aondooakaa, a source hinted, met with the former IG and assured him of his ability to get the President to extend his tenure once it expires. He equally told the excited former IG that some persons within the presidency would be bribed to ensure that the President is overwhelmingly convinced on the need to keep him.

However, when the Halliburton scandal came up, sources told Pointblanknews.com that Aondooakaa saw that as an opportunity and he quickly recommended to President Yar’Adua the constitution of an investigative panel and followed it up by forwarding Okiro’s name as the Chairman of the committee.

Okiro was named chairman of the committee of the Halliburton scandal to probe the $180 Million bribe and its scope of work was expanded to include the Siemens and Wilbros scams.

The panel was giving four terms of reference, among which are to examine the circumstances surrounding the bribery scandal in the Bonny Liquefied Natural Gas Project and liaise with appropriate agencies within and outside Nigeria, to ensure disclosure of the names of Nigerians involved or implicated in the scandal.

Sources said once the President approved his recommendation and nomination of Okiro, Aondooakaa swiftly alerted the former IG and the deal was sealed and monies paid to proxies Aondooakaa had recommended to the former IG.

But since Okiro left office, the panel has not met again. And this is after a N50 million vote was approved for the panel to travel to Switzerland, France and other countries mentioned in connection with the deal. Sources hinted Pointblanknews.com that the Panel may have tactically been dissolved after the exit of Okiro since it was set up chiefly to help him stay more than his tenure.

“That panel was primarily okiro’s gift from Aondoaakaa and I can confidently tell you that nothing would come out of it. They may have ended after Okiro left.” A source who would not want to be named told Pointblanknews.com

Both men are reported to be very close pals. While Aondoakaa has been linked to series of allegations of bribery and corrupt enrichment through blackmail and other means, Okiro on his part is regarded as one of the richest IG who used friends and family members to allegedly steal and loot the police treasury.

In particular, the former IG was accused of scamming potential police recruits of N2 billion, out of the sum realized from N2000 charged each potential recruit who applied online. 60 % of the amount, sources hinted, was paid to a consultant who investigators discovered was a member of Okiro’s immediate family.