CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS: ENUGU STATE REPS CAUCUS DEFENDS OGALLA

The Enugu State caucus of the House of Representatives has described the current smear media campaign against the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla as the handwork of the crude oil thieves whose criminal activities have been cut short since Admiral Ogalla took over the headship of Navy.

A statement signed by the Leader of the caucus, Right Hon. Nnolim Nnaji after an emergency meeting with members in Abuja at the weekend, emphasized that it was obvious that the Naval Chief has turned the heat against the oil thieves who have now resorted to blackmail to get him off their way.

“Vice Admiral Ogalla from records has had a very excellent career in Navy and had not for once been found directly or indirectly involved in any misconduct as an officer” the statement stressed adding that the organized media campaign by the economic saboteurs was to distract him and probably get him off their way.

The Enugu State House caucus further declared that, “it totally aligns itself with the position of the Naval Headquarters as encapsulated in a statement issued by the Naval spokesman, Rear Admiral Adetokun Ayo-Vaughan which exonerated Vice Admiral Ogalla from all the spurious allegations contained in the media reports”.

The Chief of Naval Staff was accused of among other sundry allegations of facilitating unauthorised bunkering of crude oil and engaging in multimillion-naira contract-splitting fraud and the release of several oil tankers previously seized for transporting stolen crude oil off Nigerian shores,

Honourable Nnaji in the statement equally urged the Naval Chief not to be deterred by the attacks on his person and office from carrying out the work of protecting the oil economy of the country adding that Nigerians would stand with him as long as he remained committed to his duties.