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''Confrontation is not a dirty word. Sometimes it's the best kind
of journalism as long you don't confront people just for the
sake of a confrontation.'' Don Hewitt
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N84bn scam: I did not comply with govt approval limit — George

FORMER Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Olabode George,
who is standing trial for an alleged N84 billion contract scam yesterday concluded his
defence telling an Ikeja High Court that the board under his tenure failed to comply
with the 2001 approval limit in order not to hamper the ports operation.

George also told the court that if for any reason the court finds out that the NPA board
actually split and inflated contracts approved within the period in view, he would not be
partly responsible for it.

The presiding Judge, Justice Joseph Oyewole, however, adjourned the case till July
20, for counsels to submit their written addresses.George alongside former NPA
Managing Director, Mr. Aminu Dabo, Captain O. Abidoye, Alhaji Abduallahi Aminu
Tafida, Alhaji Zanna Maidaribe and Mr. Sule Aliyu an engineer are standing trial on a
68-count charge bordering on fraudulent award of contracts allegedly committed
between 2001 and 2002. They had all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At the resumed hearing of the case, George the court that the board continued with
the old order while waiting for the Minister of Transportation’s response on clarification
to the controversial circular.

George also admitted that he was speaking the mind of the other five defendants as a
board, telling the court that it was possible for the management to have split and
inflated contracts proposal presented before the board.

He said that his board neither split nor notice any contract split on the surface of the
papers presented to the board before approval.

Led in cross examination by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Festus Keyamo, George
told the court that it was not his responsibility to search for other vital documents
apart from the ones that were handed over to the board at the assumption of office in
1999.

"The board on assumption of office in 1999 was given three documents; the NPA Act,
standing order and financial limits he said. "These documents handed to the board by
the legal adviser and company secretary he said was taken as the NPA bible and if
there were other documents that would aid their duties, other people should be
responsible for theft."

He, however, did agreed that the new circular stating the approval limit was brought to
the knowledge of the board, but stated that it was not presented properly and that
brought about the decision to seek further clarification from the minister of transport.
"We did not disobey the directive but refused to comply with it in order to seek
clarifications from the minister himself because the approval limits as defined by the
directive will run contrary with the way NPA’s operation was run," he said.

Daily Champion.