Centenary City project putting Nigeria in colossal loss – Ojougboh

Cairo Ojougboh is the national vice chairman, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), South-South zone and former chairman, Nigerian Export Zonal Authority (NEPZA). In this interview with OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, he spoke on the controversy surrounding the N3.7trillion Abuja Centenary City project and his grouse with the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim. Excerpts:

Why did you not make your observations about Anyim’s interest in the Centenary project known to the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan?

We did. What brought this issue to the notice of NEPZA was a petition by anti-corruption network. It was based on this petition that we called a Board meeting. Anyim instructed NEPZA not to allow us hold the Board meeting in NEPZA premises. So, we went to Hilton to hold the meeting. At the Board meeting, we were surprised because it was through this petition that we got to know that NEPZA had anything to do with Centenary City. So, the Board decided to look at the Centenary City as a whole because the MD of NEPZA will not give us any answers to the questions we were asking.

In the Act establishing NEPZA, it is clear what should be a Centenary City. So, when we looked at the Act, we said this place does not qualify to be a free zone. I immediately advised the FCT Minister then that this place cannot be a free zone because if it is a free zone, the Certificate of Occupancy will be with the Federal Government through NEPZA. So, when we investigated further, we discovered that Anyim Pius Anyim had used the free zone to get money from the banks.

But the FCT Minister said he almost lost his job because of the issue and that for you to have a free zone, you need to alter the constitution to allow it. But to our greatest surprise, he said ‘if you cannot cooperate, you have to be out’. But I said I will not cooperate. I don’t give bribe. I have been shot at, I have been waylaid. There is nothing they have not done to me because I always speak the truth. I don’t fight for myself, I fight for Nigerians, I fight for the masses. I have nothing to hide about this issue.

Because I didn’t agree, Anyim wrote to the then government, advising that I should be removed and sent to another Board. Of course, they removed me and sent me to another Board. I wrote to the former President (Goodluck Jonathan) that what I have said remains the truth; that the Centenary City is a fraud and I will tell you why. We have a document from Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). In this document, when the Centenary City was conceived two companies that had nothing to do with free zone became the sole owners of the Centenary City. The companies are: Company First Limited and Basic Stack Limited.

What is your reaction to a protest at PDP national secretariat where it was alleged that you killed Harry Marshall and A.K. Dikibo?

I don’t know anything about Harry Marshall. I never met him before he died; I had no quarrel with him. About A.K. Dikibo, I am from Delta State. He was a party official from Rivers State and our path never crossed. I don’t know him; I have nothing to do with him.
And the essence of making Centenary City a free zone is to cheat so that they will not pay Customs Duty, so that they can bring construction materials into the country without passing through immigration principles. In fact, it is a waiver through the back door. Imagine the colossal loss that this Centenary City is putting Nigeria into.

Are you calling for the probe of land allocation under the immediate past FCT Minister?

For me, I don’t meddle into anything I know nothing about. I know about Centenary City because I was the Chairman of NEPZA; a petition was written to me. And that is what I know. I don’t know any other thing about any other activities of any ministry.

Are you calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the Centenary City project?

I have already written to him. I have the copy of the petition to Buhari. And I do know that if the Buhari administration listens to my petition and investigate it, they will find out that everything that I have said is the truth.

Does your submission imply that the former President was misled into signing the Centenary City project?

President Jonathan did not know. I want to stand for him and state it clearly. He didn’t know anything about the Centenary City. Papers were presented to him and he signed. He is very innocent of this Centenary City matter. He thought it was a Public Private Partnership. If he knew the details, he would not have signed.
Once this government can thrash this issue of Centenary City, law and order will begin to take place in Nigeria. I am not afraid. They can remove me as National Vice Chairman of PDP, I will not cry over it. I was removed as Chairman of NEPZA and taken to another ministry. Let this government have the courage to look into this Centenary City issue.