Secret Reporters
The judgment by Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court were it issued an ex-parte order directing that the Paris-London Club Refund bank accounts of Abia, Cross River, and Delta states be frozen will be vacated by Delta State Government, Secret Reporters can authoritatively report.
The accounts frozen are: Abia state Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 1019892950, UBA Bank Plc; CRS Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 101989719, UBA Bank Plc; and DTSG CRS Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 1012906702, Zenith Bank Plc respectively.
According to Daily Post Online newspaper, the court gave the order amidst allegations that the governors of the three states preferred payment to family members, friends, and cronies in the guise of settling the fees for consultancy services at the expense of the real consultant progenitor of the Paris-London Club Refund.
Abia state government reportedly owes the real consultant progenitor the sum of $11,325,000 and N1.72bn; Cross River state government owes the sum of $8,050,000 and N1.2bn; While, Delta state government owes $27,274,135 and N3bn.
According to documents obtained by DAILY POST, the court order was sequel to an affidavit in support of ex-parte originating summons sworn to by Dr. Maurice Ibe, the Chairman and Managing Director of Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd, and filed before the court by his Counsel; Alex Marama, Charles Ude, and Kenneth N. Esq.
This medium has however learned that contrary to the claim by Maurice Ibe who owns Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd that he was engaged by the Delta State Government, he was only given a consultancy contract to recover the Paris Club money by Fmr. Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan but the contract expired in 2015 and was never renewed by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa
A high powered source in Okowa’s Government told Secret Reporters that “The terms were clearly stated and he was to receive 30% of the recovered sum as agreed by the previous if the money was paid then. He had a duration of 2 years. The Nigeria Governor’s Forum in early part of 2016 engaged a Consultant to help recover the money.
When the money was released in 2017, this contractor that his contract terminated in 2015 quickly rushed to a Court in Abuja and got an injunction that the State Account be frozen. Our lawyers will get the paid judgment vacated soon”
When asked if it was the Governor that engaged the services of a new consultant to help recover the money, the ever reliable source stated that the firm may have been contracted by the Finance Minister of Chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum.