[BREAKING] $35m Atlantic Refinery Project: Ex-Reps Member Hails Tinubu, EFCC Over Diligent Prosecution Of Graft Cases

A former member of the House of Representa­tives, Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, has commended President Bola Tinubu, and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, (EFCC), over the recent investigations and pros­ecution of graft cases and fight against corruption......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>

Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, who represented the Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency in the House of Representative, also commended the EFCC for the thorough investigation into the $35 million fraud concerning the 2,000 barrels per day (BPD) Atlan­tic Refinery project in Okpoama, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested former Exec­utive Secretary of the Nigeria Content Development and Mon­itoring Board (NCDMB), Simbi Wabote, in connection with an alleged $35 million fraud involv­ing the Brass Project.

It was gathered that the ar­rest is related to a failed refinery project for which $35 million was allocated.

Wabote’s arrest followed the detention of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, who is facing allegations of misappro­priation, money laundering, and diversion of $35 million in public funds. Wabote is currently held at the EFCC’s facility in Abuja.

Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, in a commendation letter addressed to the Chairman of the

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said “the recent arrest of Mr. Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, Managing Di­rector of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, and Eng. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, former Executive Sec­retary of the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and others who are key figures in the alleged fraud, has instilled hope among the people and bolstered confidence in the EFCC under your leader­ship.”

According to him, “It is heart-warming to observe that public confidence in the agency under your leadership has grown significantly, as you have steered a new course of transparency, focus, and zeal in the operations of the foremost anti-graft agency.

“While the arrest of the afore­mentioned individuals is a posi­tive development, I respectfully request the investigation of the board chairman of the NCDMB and its members for their poten­tial complicity in approving the award of the contract to an entity with no known track record for the construction of a 2,000 BPD Modular Refinery in Okpoama, Brass Local Government Area.

“The lack of response or sup­port from either the board chair­man or its members since I raised the petition on this matter raises significant concerns about their potential complicity in the fraud­ulent act.

“To fully understand their in­volvement, I recommend an im­mediate arrest and investigation of Timipre Sylva, being the board chairman and other members of the board.”