Further evidence of
corrupt and illegal Nigerian involvement in Ghana politics emerged as a
director of Energy Bank, a Nigerian owned bank in Ghana confessed that the bank
paid a whopping $5 million to some officials of the ruling National Democratic Congress
before its application for license to operate in the country was granted by the
Bank of Ghana.
Ghana's New
Statesman quoted the Director as saying the amount was paid notwithstanding the
fact that the owner of Energy Bank, Jimoh Ibrahim, had contributed huge sums of
money to support the campaign of the late President John Evans Attah Mills in
the 2008 elections.
Energy Bank, the
director revealed, was subsequently granted a universal banking license, and on
Tuesday, February 22, 2011, commenced business after the late President Mills
had cut the tape at a ceremony held at the GNAT Heights in Accra.
This revelation
comes on the back of investigations being carried out by Nigeria’s Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission on Dr Jimoh over alleged acts of money laundering.
Dr Jimoh’s
participation in Ghanaian politics was revealed by Chief Dele Momodu, a
Nigerian business mogul, who stated in his epitaph to the late President John
Atta-Mills that Dr Jimoh “provided significant support and resources to Prof
for the election.”
This act of
non-citizens donating to political parties, as was done by Dr Jimoh, a clear
contravention of section 24 of the Political Parties Act of 2000, Act 574, was
said to be at the request of then candidate John Evans Attah Mills after a
visit to T.B Joshua in the run-up to the December 2008 election.
Chief Momodu
further revealed that several months after the Electoral Commission had
declared the late President as winner of the 2008 elections, “the president
encouraged Jimoh to invest in Ghana and this culminated in the setting up of
Energy Bank. The President personally declared the Bank open last year.”
Ironically, Energy
Bank only exists in Ghana and Sao Tome, and many Nigerians contacted by the New
Statesman have expressed utter shock that Ghana granted a banking license to Dr
Jimoh, a man facing charges of money laundering, and other alleged questionable
transactions, the proceeds of which he is alleged to have used to setup
businesses outside Nigeria and also purchased a private jet, all worth millions
of dollars.
According to
reports, “Mr. Ibrahim, who is currently embroiled in a growing public
controversy over his reported crooked hijack of 51% shares of Newswatch
magazine, was grilled over several questionable business transactions in
Nigeria that enabled him to amass millions of dollars with which he established
Energy Bank in Ghana and Sao Tome as well as purchased a private jet,
Challenger 605 in 2009.”
He also, on the
September 5, shut down all Air Nigeria flight operations, sacking all but 50 of
the company’s staff.
The EFCC
investigation, according to sources in Nigeria, will further trouble the
businessman, whose interests have suddenly taken a waning turn, triggering
concerns regarding his actual source of wealth that bloomed just within years.
In the run-up to
the December 2012 elections, President John Dramani Mahama has also just
returned from Nigeria.
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