NIMASA DG JOB: Gbajabiamila Allegedly Collected $1m Bribe From Victor Ochei, Others Paid $2m, $3m, Tinubu’s Man Akinyelure Fingered, ONI-Okpaku Arrested ___Jackson Ude

Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, allegedly collected $1million, an equivalent of (N1.7billion) bribe in August 2023 from a former Executive Director of Operations at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Victor Ochei, who was desirous of emerging as the Managing Director of the agency, according to an audio recording of what transpired currently in my possession.

Other people who had lobbied for the DG NIMASA job also allegedly paid between $2million and $3million. Although Dayo Mobereola eventually emerged as the DG NIMASA in March 2024. It is not immediately known if he paid to secure the job.

Omoua Alonge Oni-Okpaku, a former Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Edo State under Godwin Obaseki, in the audio, claimed that she had met Ochei in February 2024 and brokered a relationship between Gbajabiamila and Ochei.

She said she had lobbied several other persons close to the President who got fat envelopes containing thousands of Dollars to help Ochei emerge as DG NIMASA. Among those who got part of the Dollar loaded envelopes were Pius Akinyelure, a close ally of the President.

Oni-Okpaku said she Ochei whom she first met through a journalist friend, mobilized her with N40million for transportation from which she made three trips to London, three trips to Paris, to see close associates of the President and lobby them on behalf of Ochei. Ochei did not make it as NIMASA DG and did not return as a member of the Board.

An angry Ochei thereafter wrote a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, claiming that when he was a public servant, he gave Oni-Okpaku money to give a bribe to secure a job.

According to Oni-Okpaku in the audio, “I don’t know anything about any money. Yes I introduced him to people, put in words for him, but I don’t know anything about any money…from the gist one heard outside, if he hold on to the Chief of Staff, they would find another appointment for him and that obviously didn’t happen and he reported to the EFCC. They held me here in the EFCC for weeks, they didn’t allow me to make phone calls. They searched my car, took my passport and found $30k. They claimed that the $30k was part of the money Ochei gave me.”

“I cannot really table what Victor Ochei spent but I know he spent money. He wasn’t forced to do it. He had told me that he wanted to spend about a million dollars because everybody looking for the job had spent about $2-$3million and I advised he should spend that much. He confirmed this during our interview with the EFCC.”

While Oni-Okpaku has been suffering in detention and answering questions at the EFCC, Ochei and others have been walking free.