As the billionaire oil magnate paid 14 million dollars back to government?
Yes, his phones are no longer buzzing like high-pitched alarums.
Indeed, friendship is overrated. Oftentimes it leaves a man vulnerable to the elements. It was a firm belief in friendship that cost the legendary Julius Caesar his life; eventually, he was betrayed by Brutus, his bosom friend and confidant.
Likewise, a trust in friendship has left Jide Omokore, the Chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited, an easy mark for treacherous friends.
Today, the gallant, civilised and generous man is betrayed and subjected to a ruthless heartache courtesy his friends.
Hmmm, It would be recalled that few days ago, Omokore was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with a series of multi-billion dollar petrol import and crude export deals. But rather than support himand pray for his immediate exoneration from all blame, certain trusted friends of Omokore decided to malign him and rejoice over his misery.
For Omokore, it is even more painful to note that a greater number of his detractors are friends to whom he had shown extreme generosity and support in their time of need.
Interestingly, the number of his associates and self-confessed loyalists has
depleted drastically, in the wake of his encounter with the EFCC.
A very close friend and associate of the oil entrepreneur however, disclosed that
no matter the fate of Omokore, he would remain loyal to him. He argued that Omokore has persistently been in the news for the wrong reasons due to his predilection for helping people. Consequently, mischief makers and rumour mongers have accused him of various escapades within and outside the country.
Omokore, he argued, is simply being misunderstood and maligned by
mischievous characters who deliberately misinterpret his relationship with
beneficiaries of his generosity, to achieve their own selfish objectives.
Please,watch-out for the list of men and women who were made by Jide Omokore.
However, the Nigerian government has succeeded in compelling the Chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited, Jide Omokore to cough out over $14m, being crude oil royalty which his company failed to remit to the federal treasury, administration insiders have told PREMIUM TIMES. High ranking federal officials familiar with the development told this newspaper that the funds were supposed to have been paid between 2011 and 2012 by Atlantic Energy which was, in controversial circumstances, awarded oil assets by the Goodluck Jonathan government shortly after it was incorporated in 2010.
Our sources said the money was finally paid into the Federal Government’s
account with JP Morgan Chase on January 29, after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission waded into the matter of recovering taxes due to the Federal Government.
“The investigation of tax defaulters in the dollar-soaked oil industry is continuing,” a source at the EFCC said Wednesday. “Those who failed to willingly pay up stand the risk of arrest and prosecution for tax fraud.”
Operatives of the EFCC had on January 27 questioned Mr. Omokore, an ally of
former President Jonathan in connection with a series of multi-billion dollar crude export deals.
