A former Chief Operating Officer of Joint Ventures and Business Development at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Roland Ewubare, has threatened to drag a whistleblower to court for linking him with alleged $280million Oil Well fraud.
Ewubare, in a pre-action notice that was signed by his lawyer, Ojonimi S. Apeh, maintained that the said whistleblower, George Uboh, tarnished his image with the allegation which he described as false.
According to him, Uboh had through his online platforms, disseminated the defamatory story which he titled: “Re: Mele Kyari, Roland Ewubare, Belema Oil, Jack-Rich Tein, etc Involved In $280m USD Fraud Allegation.”
He said that Uboh, while claiming to be a whistleblower, insisted that he was in possession of documents that disclosed the illegal transfer of the $280m to Belema Oil producing Ltd, tied to a phantom servicing of Oil Well OML 55.
Aside from demanding for a retraction and a public apology within seven days, the former NNPC boss further asked for damages to the tune of N2billion.
He dismissed Uboh’s allegation as “absolutely false, untrue, malicious, unfounded, wicked, mischievous, reckless, libelous and calculated to cause him to be shunned, avoided or exposed to hatred, ridicule, contempt, opprobrium before millions of Nigerian citizens and others worldwide and to convey an imputation on him, disparaging or injurious to his person, career and office as a responsible citizen.”
The pre-action notice read in part: “Our client, Chief Roland Ewubare is a law abiding Nigerian and is an urbane, upright, incorruptible, transparent and wellmannered gentleman who had occupied several offices in the past wherein he led with strict adherence to the rule of law, accountability, prudence and deep sense of patriotism.
“By the content of the publication, particularly the allegations, insinuations and or innuendos contained therein or arising therefrom, you have clearly portrayed our client as corrupt, kleptomaniac, devious, inhumane, dubious, irresponsible, and somebody who uses his position to foster and perpetrate corruption and self-aggrandizement.
“All these you have deliberately done with the view to lowering our client in the estimation of right thinking members of the society, nationally and internationally.
“It is clear that your story is not only untrue, but a well orchestrated plan to harmfully malign and hurtfully libel our client before members of the public and humiliate him.
“It is also clear that your story is a fabricated one considering that you could not provide any concrete fact or evidence to back your fictitious allegations which is within the limited purview of your imaginations.
“Notwithstanding that the allegations contained in your publication are untrue and false; you have published them mala fides, with the intention to ridicule our client before the whole world and rubbish his hard earned reputation for excellence and damage the good career and reputation he has built over several years.
“Be it known to you that our client is not a criminal.”
Ewubare’s lawyer stated that since the false and malicious story was published and has continued to appear online, his client has been inundated with several calls and still continues to receive phone calls, messages and mails from the international community and top government officials both within and outside the country, including from his friends and associates that saw the publication.
“Many of these personalities have indeed openly expressed serious concerns as to his alleged conducts as reported and or published by your organization, which allegations they claimed will definitely affect their continuous dealings with him.
“As a result of your dastardly publication of this deliberate falsehood against our client, he has suffered and continues to suffer severe humiliation, mental and emotional anguish, pain and suffering.”
Ewubare, therefore, demanded that the apology and retraction should be widely published within the stipulated days, failure of which he would approach the court for redress.