A serving member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Igwe Obey Aforji, representing Eleme Constituency, has been accused of diverting billions of naira worth of dividends belonging to Aleto and five other communities hosting Eleme Petrochemicals Limited.
Aggrieved community members alleged that Aforji acted in collusion with Senator Barinada Mpigi, the Eleme traditional ruler, HRM Philip Osaro Obele, the Akpakpan head, Chief Osaro Amasi Nwafor, the Njuru head, Chief Nwokolu Dimkpa Nteh, and Chief Eteh Elechi of Okerewa, among others.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, Chief Ejie Olongwe, who claimed to be thoroughly familiar with the matter, accused Aforji of abandoning the original plan to use dividends for development and instead diverting funds for personal gain.
Olongwe recalled that following the privatisation of Eleme Petrochemicals by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), host communities were allotted 7.5% shares through a letter dated April 20, 2009.
“Consequently, we were only able to consummate these shares in 2011 after securing the sum of N2.295 billion as a loan from Stanbic IBTC Bank, which was the value of the 375,000 units of shares which was paid to the federal government,” he explained.
He stated that the payment resulted from a peace meeting convened by the Rivers State government, which led to the adoption of Elano Investments Limited as a special purpose vehicle.
“Upon receipt of the sum of N3.4 billion, representing a cumulative dividend from 2009… it became necessary to offset the loan and its accrued interest immediately against the provisions of the trust deed agreement.
“From thence, Elano Investments Limited took full responsibility of managing the dividends and appropriating the same to key areas of human needs,” Olongwe said.
Alleged Mismanagement
According to him, problems began when Elano directors allegedly started displaying affluence, sparking protests and multiple legal cases.
“This gave birth to several litigations… which lasted until 2021 when the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, in conjunction with the Bureau of Public Enterprises, caused a truce wherein Elano agreed to surrender the shares to the communities,” he noted.
However, Olongwe alleged that Aforji then “filed criminal charges against key directors of Elano Investments Limited in a shenanigans style to force the said directors to transfer correspondence to him.”
He further alleged that through a non-prosecution agreement, N4.3 billion was restricted by court order, but “Aforji turned and claimed to be the judgment creditor” before moving across communities to handpick trustees to control the funds.
Over N70 Billion Unaccounted For
“The N4.3 billion was in 2021, but from then till date, over N70 billion has passed through the hands of the various communities’ trustees and superintendents by Aforji in connivance with the traditional heads without any corresponding human and infrastructural development,” Olongwe told SaharaReporters.
“These trustees, in turn, became answerable to him, with clear Breach of trust; dividends were mismanaged with impunity.
“No one dares to ask questions over the alarming and glaring conversion of the communities’ common patrimony to personal assets.”
“The trustees are perfect in connivance with traditional heads of the communities whose children in one or two communities are either chairman or secretary, respectively,” he added.
Use of Police and Militias to Silence Opposition
He alleged that with the communities’ money under their control, “they have recruited militia groups across the communities of Aleto, Okerewa, Njuru, Akpakpan, who move from house to house to harass, attack, or in some cases destroy the properties of dissenting voices.
“These nefarious acts are sometimes carried out with the backing of the police.”
He further alleged, “All the physical assets acquired within Port Harcourt and Abuja by the Elano Investments Limited with the communities’ money, which were handed over to Aforji, have not been accounted for.
“As I speak with you, one Ejire Nwolu Ejire, is still being detained at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, since his arrest last week Thursday in Port Harcourt for demanding transparency, accountability, and prudent appropriation of the dividends.
“On Saturday, September 21, one Elder Okulu Ogbe, Dr. Ngei Laleobe and Evangelist Gojor, were whisked away from their houses around 4pm in Aleto community by Aforji cum HRM Philip Osaro Obele’s militia group, and their whereabouts are unknown till now, even when these issues are before the courts of law.”
He called for the urgent intervention of the Nigerian government and the international community.
“Suffice it to say that within 2011-2024, these communities of about 11,000 people have received well over N90 billion with little to show for it in terms of human capital and infrastructural development. Isn’t it sad?”
SaharaReporters confirmed that Ejire is being detained at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, but when asked for a comment, he said, “I will respond to you when I’m out of police detention.”
Another member of the Aleto community, Amb. Oji Ngofa, who corroborated Olongwe’s allegations, told SaharaReporters that Aforji and his alleged co-conspirators have thwarted every sincere effort made by members of the communities to reach a peaceful resolution of the matter.
Ngofa said, “I’m in support of Mr. Ejire Nwolu and Co. who are challenging the reckless mismanagement of the dividends of the host communities of Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals by Hon. Igwe Aforji and his cohorts.
“I’m advocating for a framework that will ensure accountable, transparent, and inclusive management of the dividends.
“Those who have been in charge don’t want to give up control and have resorted to intimidation and police arrest of the litigants.
“They have aborted every sincere effort to achieve a peaceful resolution of the matter, believing that their political godfathers would help them retake control of the dividends forcefully.”
Ngofa further revealed, “For Aleto Community alone in the last three years that Hon. Aforji Igwe and Co. have been in charge, our record shows almost N20 billion.
“We are also aware that some quarterly declarations were not made public to the community.”
Senator Mpigi’s Alleged Role
Additionally, Olongwe and Ngofa informed SaharaReporters that Senator Mpigi allegedly visited Ejire in police custody on Sunday and was told he could only be released if he withdrew the case from court.
Olongwe said, “As on Sunday, Senator Mpigi visited Ejire and told him that the only condition that will guarantee his freedom is for him to ask the claimants to withdraw the suit number. PHC/4186/SC/2024 and allow Hon. Igwe Aforji to oversee the management of the dividends across the communities.
“He is the unseen masquerade behind the scenes.”
Also, Ngofa said, “Mr. Ejire Nwolu informed me on Sunday that Senator Barry Mpigi, the senator representing Rivers South-East, approached him in detention to demand that he withdraw the case in court as a condition to secure his freedom and to name his price for doing so. He said he rejected the offer.”
Aforji Denies Allegations
When contacted for a reaction to the allegations, Aforji, who first launched an aggressive verbal attack on our reporter, accusing him of being sponsored to do the story, denied the allegations, describing them as false.
“Can you not see that there is a problem? Are the Majesty (Eleme King, HRM Philip Osaro Obele), paramount ruler of Akpakpan, the paramount ruler of Njuru, the member of Rivers State House of Assembly, not the leaders of the communities there?” Aforji asked.
He continued, “Which other power can be greater than the leaders? Have you not heard of where they accuse leaders of eating money or embezzlement? Is this the first place you are hearing it?
“Does that take away the leadership of those people or make you not respect them? What will a senator be looking for?
“A senator who is the chairman of the committee on works, a member of Rivers House of Assembly, a first-class chief, and all the second-class chiefs and all the chiefs of the whole communities are gathering against one person or two because they are asking questions. Which question are they asking?
“So the police will be stupid to just accuse somebody and carry you? If you don’t forge documents, they will just carry you.
“You (his accusers) went behind the community, forged documents, signed a signature of somebody, saying that the Majesty gave you power. The Majesty didn’t give you power.
“There are stories you don’t publish except they have given you money to publish them.
“Just ignore those frustrated people who don’t know what is wrong with them. They feel they can come and eat community money through the back door.
“All those things they are telling you are lies. The dividend belongs to the people who are all subject to the Majesty, and because Majesty has given a directive they think does not favour them, he has become a thief.”
He denied the allegation of intimidating those demanding accountability for the money, saying, “Intimidating them how?”
He also denied that Senator Mpigi asked Ejiri to name his price, saying, “Name his price as who? How can a senator tell a man that is not a senator to name his price? That Ejire is what?”
Aforji questioned why our reporter is interested in publishing the story, saying, “Why must you publish a story about the community? How does the report affect you or the public? As far as I’m concerned, this issue shouldn’t be your area of specialisation.
“The Majesty has resolved the matter.”
Meanwhile, efforts to reach Senator Mpigi were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls to his mobile phone nor respond to a message sent to him up to the time of filing this report.