$500m funds: Lokpobiri, ex-local content boss clash

The face-off between the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and the former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Simbi Wabote, took a new twist on Tuesday as the duo exchanged words over claims that the NCDMB under Wabote mismanaged $500m on various projects and loans.

how the minister would ask another entity to make provisions for the budget of his office.

“The minister has an impeccable record from his time as Minister of Agriculture and will continue to stand for the truth. The minister and Indeed the Chairman of the Governing Council of the NCDMB will not abdicate his responsibility to please anyone.

“He has a responsibility to ensure that, that which belongs to Nigerians is judiciously used for Nigerians. I have had the course to read Mr Wabote’s release and everyone can see that he is still nursing the wounds of being replaced even after spending seven years on the board.

“At best, this is a clear case of when you fight corruption, corruption will fight back,” Lokpobiri concluded.

The PUNCH reports that Wabote was removed from office by President Bola Tinubu in December 2023 and was replaced with Felix Ogbe.