Navy: The Naval Headquarters Abuja, has denied bribery allegations of over $170 million against the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla published by Peoples Gazette.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Naval Headquarters Abuja, has denied allegations of over $170 million bribe against the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla published by Peoples Gazette.
This is contained in a statement signed by Navy Spokesperson, Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan made available to Newsdiaryonline on Saturday in Abuja.
According to the statement, the allegation leveled against the Navy Chief is false and a figment of the imagination of the writer, his publishers, and their unpatriotic sponsors.
The statement reads:”The attention of the Naval Headquarters has again been drawn to the unfounded, baseless and malicious publication by Peoples Gazette, an online publisher reputed for ……with the Nigerian Navy as one of its recurring targets as it was in June 2023 in a similar malicious article alleging the immediate past Navy Chief did not want to hand over. The People Gazette has again originated a false report saying, “Naval Chief Emmanuel Ogalla lands in trouble over multibillion naira oil bunkering, contract-splitting fraud.”
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“The allegations that the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) accepted over $170 million in bribes as well as alleged involvement in multi-billion naira contract splitting fraud in the last 6 months are untenable, baseless and untrue.
“Firstly, there are clear procedural requirements in the arrest, detention and release of any vessel or persons found culpable in the maritime environment. It is until these processes are duly concluded that such vessels are released to appropriate prosecuting agencies for further actions. Indeed, all arrested vessels mentioned in the publication that were involved in crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering are being investigated and none of such vessels has been released as alleged.
“Secondly, the CNS does not award or oversee oil bunkering contracts; the award of such is the sole prerogative of NNPCL.
“Thirdly, all contracts awarded by the Navy follow due process in line with the laws of the Federation. The Nigerian Navy (NN) and her roles is an offshoot of the constitutional provisions and duly guided by extant laws and regulations of the land. The policing roles of the Navy empowered her to monitor the maritime domain of the Nation. These among others include arrest of vessels that contravene any of the maritime laws and SPOMO Act 2019.’
The statement noted that the Service is aware of the coordinated frantic efforts to blackmail the office and person of the CNS by some disgruntled elements who are feeling the heat of the Nigerian Navy’s renewed vigour to fight crude oil theft and illegalities in the maritime domain as well as those who have in one way of the order shortchanged the Navy before now.
“Specifically, the continuous rejuvenated operations towards curbing oil theft has given the oil thieves sleepless nights hence the decision to engage in the malicious publications. It would be recalled that the Nigerian Navy recently launched OPERATION DELTA SANITY which provided for a holistic, more robust roadmap towards the reinvigorated stance of the Nigerian Navy towards the fight against crude oil theft and other forms of illegalities in the Nation’s maritime environment.
“Indeed, the Nigerian Navy is aware of these antics as it is expected considering the current resolve of the NN to engage oil thieves head on. The cartel hitherto believed no individual could confront its ranks. Fortunately, the recent achievements of the Nigerian Navy in this regard have put them on their heels hence the resort to cheap blackmail through immoral and compromised online media publishers.
“Pertinently, the Nigerian Navy will continue to ensure legitimate businesses in the maritime domain thrive seamlessly. Also, these distractions will in no way retract the Nigeroan Navy’s resolve to confront these criminals who must be brought to justice for Nigeria’s economy to rebound. The security and economy of the Nation is greater than any group of persons that think they must continue to drain the country.
“Accordingly, members of the public are therefore enjoined to discountenance completely the malicious publication that emanated from Peoples Gazette because it is totally untrue and completely baseless being a figment of the shallow imagination of the writer, his publishers, and their unpatriotic sponsors,” the statement stated.
Ministry of Defence pledges to investigate
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has said the allegations will be investigated
A statement also made available to Newsdiaryonline on Saturday said, “The attention of the Ministry of Defence has been drawn to the recent article published by People’s Gazette which raises serious allegations against Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.”
Responding to the allegation, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Muhammed Bello Matawalle said that the Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has zero tolerance for corruption in the public service.
“Though these allegations might be mischievous, the Ministry of Defence is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability within the Nigerian Armed Forces. The allegations leveled against Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla are serious,” he said.
Matawalle harped on thorough investigation saying that it was imperative to emphasize the need for a thorough and impartial investigation to ascertain the truth of these claims.
Speaking on the source of information, he said: “We respect the role of the media in fostering transparency and holding public figures accountable. At the same time, we urge responsible journalism that adheres to the principles of fairness, objectivity, and accuracy. Accusations of this nature can have far-reaching consequences on the reputation of individuals and institutions, and thus, it is crucial to avoid premature judgments.”
In the light of the allegations, “we assure the public that the Ministry of Defence will collaborate fully with relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter. We remain committed to the principles of due process and fairness, ensuring that findings will be based on concrete evidence and legal standards.
“It is our collective responsibility to maintain the trust and confidence of the Nigerian people in the institutions that safeguard our nation’s security. We call for patience as the investigative process unfolds and trust that justice will be served in accordance with the rule of law” the Defence Ministry statement said.
