EFCC’s Acting spokesperson, Tony Orilade stated in Abuja on Friday that “indeed, the EFCC had invited Usoro in June this year, to explain his role regarding the inflow of N300 million from the Akwa Ibom State Government’s Account into the account of Paul Usoro Chambers, PUC.”
The News Agency of Nigeria quoted Orilade as saying “Usoro was also questioned on the aggregate inflow of N1, 110,000,000 from the state government’s account into the bank account of PUC.
“From the foregoing and in line with the mandate of the commission, the SAN, definitely has questions to answer before a competent court of jurisdiction on allegation of money laundering.
“No amount of intimidation and or razzmatazz can stop the commission from carrying out legitimate assignment of investigation and prosecution of financial impropriety.
“Under interrogation, Usoro had claimed that the various sums of money received from the Akwa Ibom State Government, under the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel were payments for ‘legal fees’ to him.
“The payment was also to other eminent members of the Inner Bar and a host of other members of the Outer Bar that I had engaged to work with me in respect of the Election Petition matter involving the governor,” he said.
Usoro was further quoted by the EFCC to have stated that the payments were “independent transactions and that the Akwa Ibom government’s payments on the account were in respect of my Firm’s professional services to it, while the payments to the senior counsel were made by me for and on behalf of Governor Emmanuel Udom at his request.
“While we do not intend to engage the learned silk on the pages of newspapers, on media landscape, the EFCC wishes to state that it does have regard for the Rule of Law and in this regard, the said “client-lawyer privilege”.
“But it should be stated that what is at stake, is the legitimacy of the source of the money used for the various payments”.
Orilade continues: “It is worth reiterating that while the EFCC has “Special Powers” to investigate suspicious financial transactions, Section 18 (d) of the EFCC Establishment Act 2004, empowers the commission to investigate and prosecute any person, who engages in the concealment or disguise of the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement, rights, with respect to or ownership of property knowing such property is derived from any offence referred under this Act commits an offence.
“From all intent and purposes, payment of over N1.4 billion to Usoro from the accounts of Akwa Ibom government for unofficial transaction, is nothing short of criminal diversion of public funds,” he said.
Paul Usoro is not the first NBA President to have a run-in with the law but none in memory can be attributable to fraud allegations that would impune on the integrity of the nation’s number one lawyer.
Just peruse the calibre of NBA past presidents since Independence in 1960 as captured in Wikipedia and you will know what I mean:
- Chief Rotimi Williams (1960–1968)
- Peter Thomas (1968–1969)
- Chief B.M. Boyo (1969–1970)
- Chief Richard Akinjide (1970–1973)
- Chief Ade Ogunsanya (1973–1974)
- Dr. Mudiaga Odje (1974–1975)
- Dr. Nwaknama Okoro (1976–1978)
- Chief B.O. Benson (1978–1980)
- Chief Tunji Fadairo (1980–1982)
- A.N. Anyamene (1982–1984)
- Prince Bola Ajibola (1984–1985)
- Ebele Nwokoye (1985–1987)
- Also Aka-Bashorun (1987–1989)
- Charles Idehen (1989–1991)
- Chief Clement Akpangbo (1991–1992)
- Priscilla Kuye (1991–1992)
Between 1992 and 1998 the NBA had no president, functioning only in branches. After the crisis, presidents were:
- Chief T.J. Okpoko, SAN (1998–2000)
- O.C.J. Okocha, SAN (2000–2002)
- Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN (2002–2004)
- Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN (2004–2005)
- Prince Lanke Odogiyo (2005–2006)
- Olisa Agbakoba (2006–2008)
- Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN (2008–2010)
- Joseph Daudu, SAN (2010 – 2012 )
- Okey Walk SAN (2012 – 2014 )
- Augustine Alegeh SAN (2014 – 2016)
- Mahmoud Bakarabe SAN (2016 – 2018)
Paul Usoro, was elected President of the Nigeria Bar Association last August in a charged NBA conference that had controversy written all over it. He polled 4,509 votes to defeat his other contenders, Okafor Obi, and Ernest Ojuwkwu, who got 4, 423 as well as 3, 313 votes respectively in the election.
Ernest Ojukwu condemned the election saying it was characterised by fraud.
That election was surrounded with controversies and stories about the technology company, Chams Plc, employed for the conduct of the elections.
Ojukwu, a law professor, condemned the result of the election, saying he “contested against corruption, massive vote buying, vote capture, rigging and a skewed process.”
Now, Usoro is in the eye of the storm again, and lawyers are squirming and fretting over the fate of their number one man.
Is Usoro a pawn in a political chessboard, knowing the current political climate in Aqua Ibom, or is controversy his second name?
How can he prove his integrity so that his fellow lawyers can smile properly again and continue to file back him?
If the EFCC case against him ends up in court, will his SAN colleagues and living past presidents file in behind him?
We can only wait for answers.
“After publishing the charges against @PaulUsoroSAN online and doing their best to tarnish his image, the @officialEFCC in court today said they were not ready to go on with the matter. The said charges have also not been served on Paul Usoro despite asking for them in open court”
How true?
That’s why some people think there may be more to it. Is it part of the Governor Udom Emmanuel and Senator Godswill Akpabio struggle for supremacy and the soul of Akwa Ibom?