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EXPOSED: Pretty Okafor, Kenny George DUPE, Steals PMAN’s N100million’ …… + The Heritage Bank, Diamond Bank Connections….. Full Details Inside!

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Says: ‘N12million Kept in Heritage Bank Acct No 0002775335, Lodges N80million in Heritage Bank Acct No. 5100155938 and N2million Kept in Diamond Bank Acct No. 0056423168’

* Narrates How they Fleeced Airtel, MTN, Heritage and Diamond Banks

* Under False Pretences Collect Fund from other Unsuspecting Companies

*Opened Illegal Bank Account in PMAN Name without Authorisation of our Trustees’

* Claims: ‘They Are Fraudsters, Criminals engaging in Money Laundering’

*Petitions Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police to Investigate, Prosecute them

 

DAMING ATROCITIES of two impostors, conmen and alleged fraudsters in the activities of Nigeria’s lull music body, Performing Musicians’ Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Pretty Okafor and Kenny George has exposed how they have been collecting various sums of money from different corporate bodies in Nigeria ‘all in the name of entertainment’. As at the last count, a hefty sum of N100million was discovered to have been deceitfully cornered from Airtel, MTN, Heritage/Diamond Banks aside other firms surreptitiously.

Making this shocking revelation known to Nigerians in a petition addressed to Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris by the appointed Chairman, PMAN Caretaker Committee, Kelvin Lucciano Gabriel in a joint referendum unanimously endorsed from the New Caretaker National Committee officially inaugurated by Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment, the document states that “On the 12th of July, 2016, a new National Caretaker Committee of thePerforming Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria – PMAN, was officially inaugurated by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige at the ministry’s office in Abuja. We have enclosed a recent letter from the Labour ministry to that effect, dated 26th July 2016 to buttress this fact and for your better understanding. The new PMAN National Caretaker Committee has been mandated with the responsibility to manage the affairs of the Union pending the conduct of a fresh National Delegate Conference, amongst others.

 

PMAN Trade Union Status

Regarding the trade union status of PMAN, Kelvin explains: “For your further better understanding, PMAN as a trade union was registered in 1984 under the Trade Unions Act and its activities are regulated by the Registrar of the Trade Unions under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.”

PMAN intra-union Bickering

Detailing various bickering in PMAN which obviously led to long lull in the association and provides lacuna for impostors to steal, Kelvin states: “For some years now, there has been intra-union bickering and controversy amongst our members which principally centers on leadership tussle. As a result of leadership crisis inherent in the union and to resolve all claims to leadership, the new Caretaker Committee under the Chairmanship of Gabriel Kelvin Lucciano was inaugurated after an elaborate nationwide PMAN referendum and consultations which was submitted to the Registrar of Trade Unions which culminated to the Honourable Minister’s inauguration of the committee on the 12th July 2016.

“As a Trade Union, PMAN has its constitution which stipulates the processes that must be followed to produce a legitimate President that presides over the affairs of the Union. The said processes are contained in Rules 8 of PMAN Constitution. However, Rule 13 (4) may apply if the circumstance arises. This Constitution is subsisting till date. It is on record that the only legitimate executive of PMAN before the ensuing of the current crisis was as a result of the PMAN NDC which was held in Kaduna in 2005 which elected Bolaji Rosiji and subsequently produced, Dr. Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli, MFR as the legitimate president of PMAN.

“Owing to the crisis in PMAN, some group of people including one Mr. Pretty Okafor, Mr. Kenny George and Mr. Ibezimako among others instituted a suit before the Federal High Court, Lagos in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/919/2012 and on the 31st day of October, 2014 the Honourable Justice O.E. Abang gave them a consent judgment. The existence of the suit was not made known to the Trustees of PMAN which as at the last known constituted executives of PMAN included Dr. Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli, MFR as President and Engineer. George Dureke as 1stVice President as stipulated in Rule 13 of the PMAN Constitution, neither were their consents obtained before the suit and judgment in the name of the Union.”

419 Activities of Pretty Okafor and Kenny George Exposed

Exposing Okafor and Kenny as criminals on prowl all over Nigeria deceiving corporate organisations, the petition reveals: “ “We were amazed that sometime in November, 2014 this same group of people led by one Mr. Pretty Okafor was parading a judgment of the Federal High Court asserting right to the Union’s leadership. We swung into action and discovered that the matter was filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos in 2012 long after the Federal High Court’s powers to handle Trade Union matters was taken away and given exclusively to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria. Effectively, federal high courts have no jurisdiction over Trade Union Disputes henceforth.

“We mandated our lawyers to set aside the judgment after which they subsequently filed papers before Justice O.E. Abang drawing the Honourable Judge’s attention to the clear Constitutional provisions as to the limit of the Federal High Court over a Trade Union matters and the exclusive jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court over all Trade Union matters.

“On the 14th of April, 2016, the said fraudulent consent judgment was set aside by the same federal high court having accepted its lack of jurisdiction while upholding the exclusive jurisdiction of the Nigerian Industrial Court over the matter. With the recent setting aside and voiding of the frivolous claim to presidency of PMAN by Mr. Pretty Okafor, his claims has effectively come to a conclusive end.”

Okafor, Kenny Stole N100million PMAN Fund, Bank Account Revealed

In this petition sent to Nigeria’s IGP, Kelvin detailed how Kenny and Okafor duped, stole and laundered the sum of N100million belonging to PMAN. His words: “Sir, it has also become clear that soon after the so called ‘consent judgment’ Mr. Pretty Okafor and his team embarked on an elaborate plan to scam and defraud the unsuspecting Nigerian corporate community including the following:

Airtel

MTN

Heritage Bank

Diamond Bank etc

“They have subsequently obtained over one hundred million naira from these unsuspecting organizations and many others under false pretences and misrepresentation using the name of PMAN. They have received and laundered the proceeds of their scam through various illegal bank accounts opened in the name of PMAN without the consent and authorization of the trustees of PMAN.

“These fraudulent bank accounts include those they operate at Heritage Bank and Diamond Bank in Lagos. For the purpose of clarity, the following bank accounts have been used by Mr. Pretty Okafor and his accomplices to fraudulently obtain and launder various large amounts of money from corporate organizations using the name of PMAN:

Heritage Bank account number 0002775335 = N12,000,000

2nd Heritage Bank number 5100155938 = N80,000,000

Diamond Bank account number 0056423168 = N 2,000,000

 

“Sir, we the members of the newly inaugurated PMAN Caretaker Committee hereby humbly and graciously plead that your good offices should cease to deal with Mr. Pretty Okafor as the president of PMAN or any other matters relating to the music industry in the name of PMAN. Mr. Pretty Okafor is not and has never been the president of PMAN or any of its committee in any legal manner whatsoever. Mr. Pretty Okafor is in fact not a card carrying member of PMAN.

For your further better understanding, we have attached the following documents:

Full texts of the certified true copy (CTC) of the court ruling setting aside and nullifying the so called consent judgment by Justice Abang touted around by Mr. Pretty Okafor to lay claims to president of PMAN.A recent letter from the Registrar of Trade Unions under the Ministry of Labour and Employment clearly buttressing our assertions on the present state of affairs in PMAN.Photographs of the inauguration of the new PMAN Caretaker Committee by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige on 12thJuly 2016.

“A copy of the petition written to the police by Mr. Harris Ibezim Okeilo who acted as the treasurer to Mr. Pretty Okafor but who has since regretted his role in the fraudulent actions of Mr. Okafor using the name of PMAN to defraud corporate organizations.”

Kelvin’s petition to IGP ended with the following requests: “Investigate and verify the sources of all monies obtained by Mr. Pretty Okafor fraudulently by using the name of PMAN.

Investigate all the bank accounts opened illegally in the name of PMAN by Mr. Pretty Okafor for the sole purpose of laundering the proceeds of his scam from corporate organizations.Get Mr. Pretty Okafor to account for all monies he obtained from all sources by illegally using the name of PMAN

Prosecute Mr. Pretty Okafor for all his criminal acts of obtaining huge sums of money using the name of PMAN.”

As at the time of filing this report, there was no word of reaction from Okafor or Kenny, while we keep monitoring development on this issue.

 

SEE BELOW THE FULL PETITION TO NIGERIA’S INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE

The Inspector General of Police

Police Headquarters

Louis Edet House

Abuja, FCT

 

Dear Sir,

ILLEGAL USE OF THE NAME OF THE PERFORMING MUSICIANS EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA – PMAN TO OBTAIN MONEY AND OFFICIAL ACCESS BY DECEPTION AND FALSE PRETENCE BY MR. PRETTY OKAFOR, MR. KENNY GEORGE

On the 12th of July, 2016, a new National Caretaker Committee of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria – PMAN, was officially inaugurated by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige at the ministry’s office in Abuja. We have enclosed a recent letter from the Labour ministry to that effect, dated 26th July 2016 to buttress this fact and for your better understanding. The new PMAN National Caretaker Committee has been mandated with the responsibility to manage the affairs of the Union pending the conduct of a fresh National Delegate Conference, amongst others.

For your further better understanding, PMAN as a trade union was registered in 1984 under the Trade Unions Act and its activities are regulated by the Registrar of the Trade Unions under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

For some years now, there has been intra-union bickering and controversy amongst our members which principally centers on leadership tussle. As a result of leadership crisis inherent in the union and to resolve all claims to leadership, the new Caretaker Committee under the Chairmanship of Gabriel Kelvin Lucciano was inaugurated after an elaborate nationwide PMAN referendum and consultations which was submitted to the Registrar of Trade Unions which culminated to the Honourable Minister’s inauguration of the committee on the 12thJuly 2016.

As a Trade Union, PMAN has its constitution which stipulates the processes that must be followed to produce a legitimate President that presides over the affairs of the Union. The said processes are contained in Rules 8 of PMAN Constitution. However, Rule 13 (4) may apply if the circumstance arises. This Constitution is subsisting till date. It is on record that the only legitimate executive of PMAN before the ensuing of the current crisis was as a result of the PMAN NDC which was held in Kaduna in 2005 which elected Bolaji Rosiji and subsequently produced, Dr. Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli, MFR as the legitimate president of PMAN.

Owing to the crisis in PMAN, some group of people including one Mr. Pretty Okafor, Mr. Kenny George and Mr. Ibezimako among others instituted a suit before the Federal High Court, Lagos in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/919/2012 and on the 31st day of October, 2014 the Honourable Justice O.E. Abang gave them a consent judgment. The existence of the suit was not made known to the Trustees of PMAN which as at the last known constituted executives of PMAN included Dr. Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli, MFR as President and Engr. George Dureke as 1st Vice President as stipulated in Rule 13 of the PMAN Constitution, neither were their consents obtained before the suit and judgment in the name of the Union.

We were amazed that sometime in November, 2014 this same group of people led by one Mr. Pretty Okafor was parading a judgment of the Federal High Court asserting right to the Union’s leadership. We swung into action and discovered that the matter was filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos in 2012 long after the Federal High Court’s powers to handle Trade Union matters was taken away and given exclusively to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria. Effectively, federal high courts have no jurisdiction over Trade Union Disputes henceforth.

We mandated our lawyers to set aside the judgment after which they subsequently filed papers before Justice O.E. Abang drawing the Honourable Judge’s attention to the clear Constitutional provisions as to the limit of the Federal High Court over a Trade Union matters and the exclusive jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court over all Trade Union matters.

On the 14th of April, 2016, the said fraudulent consent judgment was set aside by the same federal high court having accepted its lack of jurisdiction while upholding the exclusive jurisdiction of the Nigerian Industrial Court over the matter. With the recent setting aside and voiding of the frivolous claim to presidency of PMAN by Mr. Pretty Okafor, his claims has effectively come to a conclusive end.

Sir, it has also become clear that soon after the so called “consent judgment” Mr. Pretty Okafor and his team embarked on an elaborate plan to scam and defraud the unsuspecting Nigerian corporate community including the following:

Airtel

MTN

Heritage Bank

Diamond Bank etc

They have subsequently obtained over one hundred million naira from these unsuspecting organizations and many others under false pretences and misrepresentation using the name of PMAN. They have received and laundered the proceeds of their scam through various illegal bank accounts opened in the name of PMAN without the consent and authorization of the trustees of PMAN.

These fraudulent bank accounts include those they operate at Heritage Bank and Diamond Bank in Lagos. For the purpose of clarity, the following bank accounts have been used by Mr. Pretty Okafor and his accomplices to fraudulently obtain and launder various large amounts of money from corporate organizations using the name of PMAN:

Heritage Bank account number 0002775335 = N12,000,000

2nd Heritage Bank number 5100155938 = N80,000,000

Diamond Bank account number 0056423168 = N 2,000,000

Sir, we the members of the newly inaugurated PMAN Caretaker Committee hereby humbly and graciously plead that your good offices should cease to deal with Mr. Pretty Okafor as the president of PMAN or any other matters relating to the music industry in the name of PMAN. Mr. Pretty Okafor is not and has never been the president of PMAN or any of its committee in any legal manner whatsoever. Mr. Pretty Okafor is in fact not a card carrying member of PMAN.

For your further better understanding, we have attached the following documents:

Full texts of the certified true copy (CTC) of the court ruling setting aside and nullifying the so called consent judgment by Justice Abang touted around by Mr. Pretty Okafor to lay claims to president of PMAN.A recent letter from the Registrar of Trade Unions under the Ministry of Labour and Employment clearly buttressing our assertions on the present state of affairs in PMAN.Photographs of the inauguration of the new PMAN Caretaker Committee by the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige on 12thJuly 2016.A copy of the petition written to the police by Mr. Harris Ibezim Okeilo who acted as the treasurer to Mr. Pretty Okafor but who has since regretted his role in the fraudulent actions of Mr. Okafor using the name of PMAN to defraud corporate organizations.

We would appreciate your kind assistance by instituting a thorough investigation to:

Investigate and verify the sources of all monies obtained by Mr. Pretty Okafor fraudulently by using the name of PMAN.Investigate all the bank accounts opened illegally in the name of PMAN by Mr. Pretty Okafor for the sole purpose of laundering the proceeds of his scam from corporate organizations.Get Mr. Pretty Okafor to account for all monies he obtained from all sources by illegally using the name of PMANProsecute Mr. Pretty Okafor for all his criminal acts of obtaining huge sums of money using the name of PMAN.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Lucciano Gabriel, Esq.

Chairman, PMAN Caretaker Committee.

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Oando Clean Energy, Cross River State, Sign MoU on Renewable Energy Infrastructure

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Oando Clean Energy (OCEL),  the renewable energy business subsidiary of Oando Energy Resources and the Cross River State Government have  signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the rollout of electric vehicles for mass transportation within the state at the ongoing 28th edition Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The move in setting up an electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant, is expected to create jobs for local indigenes as well as build a 100MW wind plant for power generation.

Representing the Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu at the MoU signing was the state’s Commissioner for Special Duties, Oden Ewa, saying the landmark agreement marked a significant step forward in the state’s journey toward a cleaner and more sustainable future. He said: “The MoU paves the way for the transitioning of our mass transit system to cleaner and less expensive fuels while also allowing for the use of our natural resource, wind, to provide electrification for our people.

“I commend Oando Clean Energy for their innovative solutions that address the impact of climate change in Nigeria and her citizens.”

According to Oando , it said,  as  a company, it has committed to ensuring that this journey to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future is as seamless and as easy as possible.

“This is by putting our confidence in, not only the technology but the partnership and ensuring that the Cross River State government and her people reap the benefits of generating power from sustainable sources”. The statement read.

Oando’s Clean Energy’s scope spans the entire 35 states of the federation and the federal capital, promising to create a cleaner, more viable energy ecosystem for Nigeria and the  people of Cross River.

In attendance at the side event were amongst others, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Abubakar Momoh;  Minister of the Environment, Abbas Balarabe;  Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Kunle Salako; Commissioner for Special Duties, Cross River State, Mr. Oden Ewa, among others.

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House Of Representatives Issues Warrant Of Arrest On Central Bank Governor, Cardoso, Accountant-General, 17 Others

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The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Petitions has asked for a warrant of arrest to be issued on the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Oluwatoyin Madein, and 17 others over refusal to appear before it to answer questions on their operations.

It was gathered that the issuance of the arrest warrant was sequel to the adoption of a motion moved by Fred Agbedi, representing Ekeremo/Sagbama Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the committee’s hearing on Tuesday.

Agbedi, while moving the motion, said that the arrest warrant had become imperative following the attitude of the invitees, adding that the parliament worked with time and the CEOs had been invited four times but failed to respond to the invitations.

Agbedi said that the CBN Governor, the AGF and the rest of the invitees should be brought to appear before the committee by the Inspector General of Police through a warrant of arrest after due diligence by the House Speaker, Rep Tajudeen Abbas.

The Chairman of the Committee, Micheal Irom (APC-Cross River), in his ruling said that the Inspector-General of Police should ensure the invitees were brought before the committee on December 14.
It was gathered that the petitioner, Fidelis Uzowanem, had earlier said that the petition was anchored on the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) 2021 report.

Irom said, “We took up the challenge to examine the report and discovered that what NEITI put together as a report is only consolidation of fraud that has been going on in the oil and gas industry.

“It dates back to 2016 because we have been following and we put up a petition to this committee to examine what has happened.

“The 2024 budget of 27.5 trillion that has been proposed can be confidently funded from the recoverable amount that we identified in the NEITI report.

“It is basically a concealment of illegal transactions that took place in NNPCL; they have been in a sink with some oil companies where some companies that did not produce crude were paid cash core, an amount paid for crude oil production.”

 

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FCTA uncovers illegal oil refining warehouse in Abuja

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In continuation of the city cleaning exercise, Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) with operatives of security personnel have uncovered an illegal oil refining warehouse in Mabushi, opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu Bello way in Abuja.

 

The Director, Department of Development Control, FCTA, Mukhtar Galadima after the operation on Thursday, said the illegal refining site was discovered during the continuation of the city cleaning exercise.

 

According to him, about three to four plot of lands designated for commercial purposes have been converted to an area where oil and diesel are being adulterated and circulated to other parts of the city.

 

Galadima explained that the city sanitation task force will look into the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration for further actions on the plots used for the activity.

 

He said there was no arrest but the items used in carrying out the illegal refining have been impounded.

 

Galadima said, “During the continuation of our city sanitation exercise in Mabushi opposite Mobile filling station on Ahmadu way, we discovered an illegal refining site where oil and diesel are being adulterated, we have done the needful by moving the items to Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

 

“From what we have seen so far, about three or four pilot of lands designated for commercial purposes have been converted to unapproved activities, which we believe the owners are fully aware, there will be consequences.

 

“We are going to look at the provision of the law and make necessary recommendations to the FCT Administration”

 

He said the administration will continue to go tough on activities being carried out without government approval,  especially revocation of the titles.

 

Collaborating, Head, operations FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Service (DRTS), Deborah Osho said the city management team during the exercise also discovered that most of the areas in the Nation’s capital have been converted to illegal car mart and motor parks.

 

She disclosed that fifteen vehicles have so far been impounded since the operation commenced about two days.

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