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Rivers probe panel summons APC national officer, 11 others over N3b agric loan

By Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt
25 August 2015   |   11:44 pm
THE Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oji Ngofa and 11 others have been summoned to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Friday to explain their role in the disbursement of a N3 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) agriculture loan.
PHOTO: nigeriamasterweb.com

PHOTO: nigeriamasterweb.com

THE Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oji Ngofa and 11 others have been summoned to appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Friday to explain their role in the disbursement of a N3 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) agriculture loan.

Meanwhile, former Rivers State Commissioner of Agriculture, Emma Chinda, who is at the centre of a N4 billion agriculture development loan scandal, has filed a suit at a Port Harcourt seeking for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the commission from summoning him by any means to appear before it.

The non-appearance of Ngoja and the 11 former council chairmen before the Justice George Omereji-panel yesterday infuriated the counsel to the commission, Dr. Zaccheus Adangor, who then requested they appear on Friday, a request that was readily granted.

The commission had on Monday uncovered memos submitted by permanent secretaries of the ministries of agriculture and commerce and industries detailing how political associates of the former governor, Chibuike Amaechi, were among 380 cooperative societies that benefited from the CBN loan that was converted to grants by the state government.

Ngofa is summoned for purportedly receiving N24, 700, 000 as president of Eleme Cooperative Society. Others are the incumbent Council Chairman of Ogba/Ndoni/Egbema (ONELGA) Local Council, Austin Ahiamadu, who was President ONELGA Cooperative Society. His association supposedly received N32.1 million grant; Nnamdi Uche, who was a Vice Chairman of Port Harcourt City Council was said to have received N134.6 million as President of Port Harcourt Integrated Cooperative Society; Ojukaye Amachree, former Chairman of Asari Toru Council who allegedly got N54.8 million on behalf of Asari-Toru Cooperative Society.

Other are former chairmen who headed cooperative societies but receive grants include former Oyigbo council chairman, Felix Nweke who got N28,525,000 and Mena Diende of Ogo/Bolo Council who as president of Omadu Integrated Cooperative Society purportedly pocketed N32,175,000.

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