By Abdallah el-Kurebe, Editor
#TrackNigeria: Suspended manager of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA), Mr. Funmilayo David Omosule has alleged that he is facing what he describes as ‘endless’ intimidation and oppression because he exposed a N100 million fraud in 2009.
According to him, the management wrongfully suspended him, a development that made him employ the services of two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to help drag the management court to seek redress.
Omosule added that his quest to seek to seek justice was being threatened by lack of funds to pay legal fees.
Read his statement below:
“Without being immodest, permit me to say that I am the only living Nigerian, (verifiable), who served under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, between 2003 and 2007 as a Technical Assistant to a Honourable Minister and a member of the board of a federal parastatal, and after all of these, became a Public Servant.
“In 2008, I joined the public service at the federal level, on Grade Level 12, with 18-year post NYSC leadership qualities and experience. I resumed as Manager, Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA), Abuja.
“In the course of my duty, I exposed a fraud of N100 million in 2009, and this development infuriated the management of OGFZA who were neck deep in the corrupt practice.
“In 2011, I was to be elevated to Grade Level 17, having met all the provisions of the Authority’s Administration Manual, due to vacant positions, but I was wrongly accused of possessing forged and fake Degree and NYSC Certificates and was suspended from office without pay since April 2011.
“I dragged the Authority before the National Industrial Court (NIC), Abuja but the new Managing Director of OGFZA was interested in out of court settlement, but the Governing Board has been using all forms of underhand tactics to intimidate me to resign.
“I made bold to say that the Board lacked the power to force me to resign, and the process leading to the out of court settlement discussions broke down.
“We returned to the NIC and the case was adjourned to 26th September 2019 for hearing.
I engaged two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs to assist me to fight this gross injustice and oppression,” Omosule stated.
He pleaded with well-meaning Nigerians to assist him fight the alleged endless intimidation.
“The snag, however, is I need funds to prosecute the case to its logical conclusion. Haven not accumulated any wealth during my service to the nation and not received any salary for the past eight years. Your support for me to win this case will be victory for the down trodden and will usher in the dawn of a new era of effective war against corruption in Nigeria in particular and the world at large,” Omosule further stated.
