| Senior officers were
‘invited,’ not arrested - Naval spokesman
• House to summon Obasanjo’s men
By BONIFACE NZAMA, Calabar and JAMES OJO, Abuja
Thursday, October 7, 2004
Media reports which stated that three Naval Officers have
been arrested over the disappearance of a seized MV African
Pride, stirred the hornet’s nest Tuesday at Calabar
Naval base, as the Director of Naval Information who visited
the command, described the said arrest as a lie.
At the Naval Officers Mess in Calabar, the Director of Information,
Navy Captain Sinebi Hungapuko said "the report was blown
beyond proportion, because no senior Naval officer was arrested
in connection with the said ship."
His words: "No senior officer, no Rear Admiral was arrested."
"As I am talking to you now, I have the house phone number
of all the officers that were mentioned in the story."
"I can call them and you may be surprised to hear them
talk from their respective houses."
He continued, "of course, it is true that the matter,
concerning the ship is under investigation and some senior
Naval officers were invited to answer some questions."
"When somebody is invited, does not mean that he is arrested.
"The National Assembly has actually waded into the matter
and it was based on the preliminary investigation, that it
became necessary to constitute a court martial so that proper
investigation will be carried out."
Calling on the media to cross check their facts before publishing,
he said "the court martial has not even started.
"By the time the court martial will start, the three
officers mentioned in the story, will be among the people
to appear before the court to answer some questions."
"For now, I wouldn’t know how many Naval officers
will be invited, but certainly, not only the three already
mentioned," he concluded.
Meanwhile, in its determination to expose those behind the
missing ship, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum
Monday threatened to summon the Special Assistant to the President
on Petroleum Alhaji Jafaru Markafi.
Also to be summoned is the Executive Secretary of the Department
of Petroleum [DPR] to come and shed lights on how the crude
aboard the missing ship which was
said to be contaminated.
Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
NNPC Mr Funso Kupolokun while testifying before the committee
had admitted that the crude found in MT African Pride was
contaminated and therefore sold at a rock bottom price to
a company owned by NNPC.
But fuming with anger because of the non-chalant attitude
of some top shots of government on the missing ship, the committee
said it had no option than to issue a summon to the affected
officials to appear before it.
Hon Cairo Ojougbo while responding to the submission of the
Chief of Defence Staff Lt.General Alexander Ogomudia said
the task of finding the missing ship must be done.
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