EFCC raids former VP Sambo’s office in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raided an office complex in Abuja belonging to former Vice President Namadi Sambo.

VP Namadi Sambo

The PUNCH learnt on Monday that the EFCC operatives raided the office complex, which is not far from the National Defence College along Herbert Macaulay Way, Abuja, between 12noon and 6pm on Saturday.

Aside from being on the list of those to be probed for arms purchase, it was gathered that the former vice president was also being investigated for his role as the Chairman of the National Council on Privatisation in the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Findings showed that the EFCC operatives carted away many documents from the office but did not arrest anybody.

It was learnt that the EFCC on Monday began an analysis of documents seized from the office of the former vice president.

A top operative of the anti-graft agency, who confided in The PUNCH, said the operatives were on a mission to seize evidence that would likely be used against Sambo.

It was learnt that the documents carted away from Sambo’s office in files included banking transactions and inventory of properties within and outside Nigeria as well as copies of his asset declaration forms.

The source said the operatives had traced several properties believed to belong to Sambo to the United Kingdom and the United States apart from several others in the country.

One of our correspondents learnt that the investigation would get to a stage where the former vice president would be requested to make clarifications on the properties traced to him.

The source said, “Our operatives carried out a special operation at one of the offices of the former Vice President, Mr. Namadi Sambo, on Saturday.

“Most of the documents they took away have to do with banking operations and properties within and outside the country.

“Most of the properties they have traced so far are in the United Kingdom and the United States. Apart from those outside, there are also several houses within the country.

“The source explained that the former vice president could only be summoned for interrogation at the conclusion of the ongoing analysis of the documents they got from the office.

“One cannot say when or whether the man would be questioned or not. Naturally, that can only happen after those analysing the documents are through with their job. His roles in the arms deals and as the chairman of the National Council on Privatisation in the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration are being investigated.”

A source close to the former vice president, who spoke to one of our correspondents on Monday on the raid on Sambo’s office, said the EFCC operatives did not ‘‘find what they were looking for.’’

According to him, the operatives believed that they would get bags of dollars, which they did not find.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the EFCC’s agents carted away copies of asset declaration forms, which the former vice president had submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

Denying the involvement of the former vice-president in the arms purchase scam or any shady deals, he said, “We are confident that nothing negative will be found about the former vice president. They are on a wild goose chase.”

Efforts to get the spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, had not succeeded as of the time of filing this report as calls to his mobile did not connect.

As the Chairman of the NCP, Sambo supervised the work of the Bureau of Public Enterprises.

The council approves enterprises that are to be sold or given out in concession. It approves the work schedule of BPE for the year and the list of companies that are shortlisted for bidding.

There was a report two weeks ago that Destra Investment, a company owned by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, allegedly paid N25m to a former Special Assistant to Sambo, Abba Dabo, on December 16, 2014.

EFCC raids former VP Sambo’s office in Abuja

Jonathan led government officials to condole with Sambo

By Ehi Ekhator

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan led some top government officials, including his wife to condole with his Vice President, Namadi Sambo concerning the death his brother, Yusuf.

Yusuf died in a fatal motor accident along Abuja Airport Road. He was a pilot.

The Vice President was away for an official assignment in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, at the country’s golden jubilee anniversary when the accident happened.

The sadden Namadi rushed back to Nigeria yesterday and went to the Mosque where a brief funeral service was conducted in his brother’s honour.

He was later buried at a cemetery in Abuja.

Jonathan expressed Sadness over the death, saying it was one of the saddest day in Nigeria

He said: “We are all mere mortals. All of us are from the earth, we must all go back to the earth. We do not know the timing of this journey all of us must make. This world is a place where we come to play our different roles. He left too early. Maybe he left when the ovation is loudest. He left at a time we needed him most. But there is nothing we can do.”

Grieving Sambo thanked the President for leading government officials to condole with him and added that his brother, was one of the most experienced pilots in the country.

Similarly, The Senate President, David Mark condoled with the Vice President and his family over the sudden death of their younger brother, Captain Sabo Sambo.

Mark said that the country has lost one of her best pilots and prayed that Almighty Allah grant the deceased eternal rest.

 

Jonathan led government officials to condole with Sambo

2015: Plot to dump VP sambo as Jonathan"s running mate uncovered

The plot to dump Vice President Namadi Sambo as running mate to President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of next year’s election is far from being over, according to indications last night.

Jonathan and Sambo

The fresh plot is the brainchild of some political heavyweights from the North who believe that for the PDP to make the desired impact in that part of the country in the election, it must have a presidential running mate that is widely acceptable and politically savvy across the region.

Sambo, in their view, is too far removed from the realities of the politics of the region and therefore incapable of either addressing the issues or galvanising support for Jonathan ahead of the 2015 election.

Although the president is yet to publicly announce his intention to seek re-election, political watchers believe that his political machinery is already in place as he meets with different political interests across the nation on a regular basis.

A reliable source said in Abuja that the decision to drop Sambo was reached at a high level meeting and that Jonathan’s body language on the proposals must have influenced the decision of two of the PDP governors, who are at loggerheads with the President, to drop the idea of joining the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Accordingly, four governors were pencilled down to replace Sambo.

These are Aliyu Babangida of Niger State, Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi and Ibrahim Shema of Katsina.

Some of the governors had, in the past, dissociated themselves from the alleged plot to replace Sambo who was the governor of Kaduna before he was picked by Jonathan as vice president after the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua.

The source said the political heavyweights behind the plot include some retired but influential Army generals from the region, emirs and an ex-president who is pushing for Lamido.

The source said: “Don’t be deceived by the denials and counter-denials. Would you have expected them to publicly accept the plot? What I know is that these persons have been meeting and Sambo might as well be on his last tour of duty as vice president unless something drastically changes the run of event.

“I can tell you that the strategic choice by Aliyu and Lamido to remain with the PDP was due to the promise extracted by some political heavyweights in the party to make one of them, preferably Lamido who is considered to be highly disciplined and with impressive political savvy in the North, to be nominated as vice president after Sambo has failed to command the kind of respect expected of anyone in that position in the North.”

Asked if the president would not be inflicting a grave injustice on his loyal deputy should he accept the suggestion, the source said the reality is that the president would have to analyse the options before him and take a decision that would positively affect his future.

“First, it was understood that the failure to bring the Boko Haram menace to an end or even try to talk to its leadership to stop the carnage and come to the roundtable for a peace talk was due to the fact that most persons in the North still do not recognise Sambo as a Northern leader. They see him as a businessman who knows little or nothing about the politics of his domain.

“What if I told you that Shema is also scheming to be vice president in spite of his repeated denials and there is a belief that former President Ibrahim Babangida might not support Babangida Aliyu as vice president due to some reasons?”

It was gathered that the political heavyweights rooting for a Lamido vice presidential ticket have been holding talks with Jonathan and may soon reach an agreement that would seriously endanger the political fortunes of Sambo in 2015.

The source said former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s sudden silence on the Jonathan presidency might not be unconnected with how far the political discourse has gone.

It is believed that Lamido should be able to garner support to match whatever threat the Buhari or APC strategy in the North might engender.

However, it was learnt that Sambo is not taking the matter lying low as he was said to have been meeting with some of the northern governors excluding those interested in his seat, in order to garner support for his candidacy.

2015: Plot to dump VP sambo as Jonathan"s running mate uncovered

Treat APC as a party literally banned – VP Sambo

ABUJA – The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is seriously warming up to regain the South-West Zone from the opposition, Vanguard has gathered.

VP Namadi Sambo

To this end, the party in a meeting with South-West PDP caucus in Abuja took concrete decisions on how to fully regain the Zone, starting with the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States scheduled for this year.

The meeting which has in attendance, the Vice President, the PDP National Chairman and the Chairman of Board of Trustees was prompted by a special dinner organised by the south-west leaders led by Chief Bode George for the newly appointed Chief of Staff to the President, Brigadier-General Jones Oladehinde Arogbofa.

The Special Dinner held at the Maitama residence of Chief Olabode George also had in attendance Minister designate, Chief Musiliu Obanikoro, the newly appointed Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Sola Omole and others.

The Vice President Arc. Namadi Sambo expressed delight on what he described as a good assemblage of Yoruba leaders at the meeting, stating that the prompt responses by the leaders had indicated that the PDP in South-West was more prepared to take over the region by 2015.

Sambo, clad in snow white agbada with a brown Yoruba cap, told the Yoruba leaders that President Goodluck Jonathan intended to be in their midst for the meeting, as a mark of respect he had for the South-West, but for pressing official duties which prevented him.

He said the appointment of General Arogbofa and others from the south-west into the federal cabinet was a fulfillment of the promises earlier made by President Jonathan, just as he indicated that the President would still do more for the zone.

The Vice President lamented the loss of the south-west by PDP to the opposition party, attributing it to absence of unity among the PDP leaders in the zone.

Sambo, who charged the gathering not to allow the All Progressive Congress (APC) a space in the future elections, likened the APC acronym to some drugs which, according to him, had been banned in Nigeria, suggesting to the PDP south-west leaders to continue to treat the APC as a party that had literally been banned.

Earlier, the PDP Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih noted that with the caliber of Yoruba political actors and the desires they were radiating for PDP at the meeting, he was rest assured that party would soon regain the south-west.

Like the Vice President, Anenih blamed the loss of south-west by PDP on internal wrangling among the leaders, while he charged the PDP south-west to close ranks for the benefit of the party in future elections.

Anenih said for PDP to regain the lost grounds in the south-west, every serving minister from the zone would henceforth take over the leadership role by ensuring proper coordination and funding of their zone.

The PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu who was accompanied to the meeting by Senator Hope Uzodinma, the Party’s National Secretary Professor, Wale Oladipo and Auditor, Alhaji Adeyanju Adewole, said his personal love for the Yoruba and their ways of life would always prompt him to ensure the return of the south-west zone to the centre by 2015.

Mu’azu canvassed for unity, peace and understanding among the PDP south-west leaders and members, just as he urged the leaders not to leave former President Olusegun Obasanjo behind in their consultations and considerations.

He advised them to be pragmatic as the era of where some body works for others to reap it would no longer be tolerated, insisting that loyalty would be considered under his leadership.

“I want this party to be all inclusive. This time around loyalty under my leadership of the party will be identified, there will not be something like ‘monkey dey work baboon dey chop’. There is enough for everybody; the umbrella is big enough to accommodate everybody.

“Today’s meeting has demonstrated that we can do it, please continue with it, I will be transparent in my leadership. You need to be pragmatic, you will reap it. I beg you, please cooperate with me,” Mu’azu implored.

In his welcome address, the Convener of the meeting, Chief Bode George expressed satisfaction to the gesture given to the zone by President Jonathan, in bringing more south-west representatives into the cabinet, in line with recommendations by some Yoruba leaders who had been meeting him.

He said the PDP south-west was now better prepared and inspired to wrest power from the APC, vowing that members would do all in their capacity to ensure that the Party takes over all the states of the south-west by 2015.

At the meeting were Chief Ebenizer Babatope, Prof Tunde Adeniran, Musiliu Obanikoro, Dr Adesina Akinwumi, Agric Minister, Chief Remi Adiukwu, Hon Mulikat Adeola Akande, Chief Martins Kuye, Ayo Fayoshe, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Barrister Olusola Oke, Kashamu Buruji, Elder Wole Oyelese, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, Chief Erelu Obada, Engr Segun Oni Dr Kayode Obambe, Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, Eddy Olafeso and Chief Dosu Ladipo.

Others include, Chief Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, Engr Ezekiel Jide Adeniyi, Hon Ajibola Muraina, Hon Wole Oke, Apostle Dave Salako, Hon Kayode Amusan, Dr Bode Olajumoke, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, Dr Frederick Fasheun, Chief Yomi Akintola, Chief Hazeem Gbolarumi, Hon Elegbeleye, Segun Adeleke, Prince Olufemi Aduwo, Eddy Olafeso, Chief Ishola Filani, Alhaji Tajudeen and others.

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Treat APC as a party literally banned – VP Sambo