Monday, July 7, 2014

THERE COULD BE MORE TO THIS STORY THAN MEETS THE EYE : Update on Brazil 2014 scandal: Sally Mbanefo queried ... NigerianTimes


Following the unsuccessful participation of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) in the ongoing world cup fiesta in Brazil, the Director General, Sally Mbanefo, has been queried by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Edem Duke for her conduct while in Brazil.
The Nigerian Times learnt that Mbanefo, who tried to avoid being served the query, had escaped from her office through the back door on being told about the communication from the minister, however received it at the second instance of delivery.
According to our sources, the Director General had forced herself into an aircraft chartered by the Nigeria Football Federation for a select list of persons including the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Minister of Sports and other persons, as was trying to quickly leave Brazil to avoid the heat from the contractors of the failed Nigerian Fans’ village. Her name was not on the manifest.
“When the airline crew refused her from joining the aircraft, she resorted to insulting and throwing verbal abuses on them, a situation the minister felt embarrassed about.
“It took the Minister who ordered her out of the aircraft to restore calm to the situation, while questioning her reason for leaving Brazil as the world cup was far from over.
“On her return to Nigeria, an angry Mbanefo told the story of how the Minister treated her to some close members of staff in her office and added that she was going to rely on the members of the NTDC board to stand for her against the Minister,” the source revealed.
The Nigerian Times also learnt that the head of the project unit of the NTDC that was supposed to be in charge of projects like the Fan’s Village, Fatima Obadakin has been queried on the allegation that she was the one who hired Azania Omo-Agege, the President of Za Entertainment whom the DG said has become a threat to her life.
Our source however explained that contrary to that supposition, Omo-Agege was recommended and introduced to the Fans’ village project group by the Director General of the Nigeria Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye.
“Fatima was only a member of that group and had had no business with Omo-Agege before that time.
“I can confirm to you that she handed over to one consultant, Ola Wright after she was asked to do so by the DG. Ola is the one indirectly running the unit now, which I believe is against the rules of the civil service,” our source explained.
However, when it was discovered that the query was a tactical error, the DG ordered the Director of Administration to retrieve it but the recipient was said to have insisted on an official letter ordering the retrieval of the query.
In another development, it has been discovered that the board of the NTDC gave an approval for 12 persons to travel with the DG to Brazil for the tournament and the Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) had been paid for that number of persons.
It may however be recalled that The Nigerian Times reported that the Mrs Mbanefo travelled to Brazil with about three journalists, the Chairman of the NTDC staff union, her daughter and Omo-Agege, without any member of the NTDC project unit in the entourage. It was still unclear as at press time who the DTA was paid to.

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