An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Assistant Commissioner of Police Umar Babangida, testified on Wednesday that former minister Dr. Olu Agunloye was not in office when key approvals for the Mambilla Power Project were given.
Testifying as the third prosecution witness before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie at the Abuja High Court, Babangida stated that a Memorandum of Understanding for the project was signed on July 3, 2002, by then Minister of State for Power and Steel, Alhaji Murtala M. Aliyu—not by Agunloye.
The witness further revealed that former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, wrote to then-President Olusegun Obasanjo in November 2002, seeking approval to advance the project.
In his response, Obasanjo approved the proposal but reduced the recommended federal equity stake from 35% to 25%.
Babangida emphasized, “The defendant was not the Minister of Power and Steel as of that time.”
Agunloye faces an amended seven-count charge, including allegations of receiving N5.2 million in gratification related to the project’s approval and conspiring to forge a project letter. He has pleaded not guilty.
The trial has been adjourned to Thursday for continued cross-examination.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
