By Charles Igbo
This certainly is not the best of times for the Asiwaju of Lagos, and the Jagaban of Borgu, Bola Tinubu.
Fresh from the controversy surrounding the alleged shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate during the #ENDSARS protest by youths, and his alleged role in it, Tinubu has, now, to endure the calling-in of his close ally, Babatunde Fowler by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Fowler was a former boss of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, allegedly, on the recommendation and backing of Tinubu. Before that, he was a former boss of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS.
Two reasons have been adduced as to why an invitation was extended to him by the Lagos office of the EFCC.
The first, reports say, has to do with an alleged Five Billion Naira fraud at the FIRS while he was the boss.
According to reports, while he was there, about nine senior staff members of the FIRS were arrested and detained by the EFCC. He was not one of them.
The second reason has to do with the allegation by a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Beta Consulting, Dapo Abara. Abara had accused the firm of money laundering and tax evasion to the tune of N100b.
Tinubu, as confirmed by Abara, has a huge interest in Alpha Beta, and allegedly was, and still is, the main benefactor. But the management of Alpha Beta vehemently denies the allegations, and instead alleges that it was Abara who defrauded the Firm to the tune of five billion Naira.
Alpha Beta collects all the Internal Revenue in Lagos.
Part of Abara’s petition, signed by his lawyer, Adetunje Adegboyega, reads: “Over the years, the company has been protected and shielded by some powerful politicians and people in the society which made them to always boast of being untouchable, but our client, feeling the need not to keep quiet again, and strengthened by President Muhammadu is keen on fighting corruption, which has been the bane of our country, is of the firm belief that it’s time to expose and open the can of worms called Alpha Beta Consulting.”
However, at the time of writing this, Fowler was still with the EFCC. Wilson Uwajaren confirmed Fowler was still with them.
Not a few people think that a dig at Fowler as it concerns Alpha Beta Consulting, is an indirect dig at Tinubu.
