Society Gists

*Traces over N1b to wife, Eileen

   *He uses  Blaid construction as front

By Femi Aladejana

Many a man are enslaved to innate demons. Led by the beasts within, they commit dastardly acts of savagery and corruption only to confess at the end, alleging a faltered mental state, abject penury and the threat of death, among other extreme circumstances. Yes, former PPMC boss, Haruna Momoh  is such a man.

In a country badly governed, wealth elicits feelings of shame. But it takes a humane and open heart to understand and feel the indignity of being identified as a common thief spurred by the lure of immoderate yearnings. Haruna Momoh, former Managing Director (MD) of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), perhaps lacked a humane and open heart; that was why he pitilessly pilfered the country’s petroleum coffers in connivance with his former boss, ex-petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The former PPMC boss was a lackey and accomplice of Diezani and together, they masterminded several shady schemes and oil deals that rendered the nation’s petroleum sector a jungle of mess and brazen corruption.

Despite their differences in age, tribe and religion, Diezani saw in Haruna, a dependable ally and beyond counting dollars in multiple billions, the duo successfully pulled off many lucrative deals that have left friends and business associates gaping in envy and bewilderment.

Haruna, despite his elevated position in the PPMC, played stooge and errand boy to Diezani, running errands for her and carrying her bags after her on her frequent trips abroad.

Like all obsequious underlings, Haruna profited immensely by playing Diezani’s errand boy; as you read, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Monday, November 4th said it has secured an interim forfeiture order from a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to seize N2, 417, 037, 404 billion illegally acquired by a former Managing Director of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), Haruna Momoh.

It also said it has started moves to recover the N2.4 billion permanently alongside some landed properties linked to Momoh. It said the cash includes foreign and local currencies, stashed in multiple accounts in four different banks as well as five landed properties located in different parts of Abuja metropolis.

It also said it uncovered four bank accounts owned by Eileen Ochuko Momoh, the wife of the ex-PPMC boss, with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) where the combined sum of N469.2 million in foreign and local currencies was stashed.