NO MORE CONTROVERSY FOR EMEKA OFFOR

At last, respite seems to have found a place in the life of Sir Emeka Offor, the popular businessman behind Chrome Oil Services. He is revelling in the moment of being a new husband, following his wedding to Adaora Ufondu. The marriage between Offor and the 28-year Adaora took place on Friday, January 3 in Nnewi, Anambra State. The bride is the daughter of Chief Alexander Okey Ufondu, a wealthy Onisha based businessman. With his new marriage now, Offor has resolved to lie low and avoid any further controversy. Indeed, controversy used to take residence in Offor’s life. And this always has coloured the opinion, which most people have about his personality and style of business operations.  

Offor’s reputation as a billionaire came to the fore during the first term administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, his close friend and mentor. His business tentacles spread across power, oil, gas and aviation. During the 2003 elections, his donations formed a substantial part of his Obasanjo’s campaign budget. Moreover, Offor had singlehandedly funded the election of former Anambra State Governor, Chinwoke Mbadinuju. On assumption of power, Mbadinuju held tight to the locks of the state’s treasury, refusing to allow Offor burrow into it. Consequently, the two fell apart and became sworn enemies. Their embarrassing fall-out remains one of the anticlimaxes of Nigeria’s third republic. Offor threatened that Mbadinuju would not come back to office like other PDP governors. He made good his threat, for Mbadinuju has been in political wilderness since then. Just when you think the gangling Anambra native has been buffeted enough by troubles, he opened yet another page.

A couple of years ago, the United Kingdom government deported Offor because, he was alleged to have been involved in serious, organized criminality. It was gathered that Offor had been under scrutiny since December 2006 when he was caught with £700,000. The money was allegedly stashed, in his designer luggage, which was seized alongside his UK travel visa and the diplomatic passport he got under the Obasanjo regime. Apart from the huge amount of cash found on him, Offor is believed to have a business relationship with a Houston, Texas-based oil company, EHRC Energy, which was raided by the FBI in 2006. Offor reportedly helped resolve a long running border dispute between Nigeria and Sao Tome through “gifts” to key political figures, while creating an offshore development zone where international oil companies could bid for the rights to drill.

But while Offor was threatening fire and thunderstorm and launching an all-out war against the UK government, close watchers swore he was only barking. They based their premise on the fact that there was too much in his closets that the UK could use to nail him. True enough, Offor took to the advice of some powerful people and the matter died down. He has since reclined into his cocoon, and he is currently enjoying his new life with his new wife.