EFCC’s Fight Against Fraud Gives Nigeria Hope – Port Harcourt Refining Company, MD

…As EFCC trains forensic experts to tackle oil and gas-related crimes

The Managing Director, Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, Mr. Ibrahim M. Onoja, has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for offering hopes of growth and development to the nation.

He gave the commendation in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at the closing ceremony of a three-month specialized training on Petroleum Product Quality Analysis for five officers of the EFCC.

Onoja says that the works of the Commission against different fraudsters are building strength and hope for the nation.

“I thank the EFCC for their works in difficult systems, especially fraudsters, challenges of yahoo boys, illegal oil bunkerers and all of them, but you give us hope, you give Nigerians, everyone of us hope that we will be better, we can become the best country in the world defeating this monster”, he said.

Onoja maintained that the interns that took training in his company demonstrated high level of discipline during internship and commended the Commission for sustaining rigorous campaigns against corruption.

“To the graduands, welcome and thank you for your resilience, commitment and dedication. I have always had a privilege to run into them. I see them always at their duty posts and on time, very disciplined. You guys have done well. You kept to it even though it took us time to meet some of the demands but we did our best”, he said.

The training commenced on April 29, 2024 with five officers of the Commission including the Head, Chemical Forensics Laboratory Department, EFCC Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate, Invoke Paul Agwu and four other officers of the Department, Etim Ubong Christopher, Umar Aliyu Musa, Jefferey Onyekachi Okwunwa and Ifenkwe Emeka Henry.

One of the participants, Agwu, stated that the aim of the training was to expose analysts to the current chemical laboratory management procedures of identifying key performance indicators of petroleum products.

“The functions of the Forensic Chemistry Laboratory Section was to cater for sample collection, sample preparation and analysis. During this period, we were exposed to laboratory management and procedures and control, necessary steps to house keeping and quality control, quality assurance documents, health and safety procedures in the laboratory” he said.

Commending the management and staff of Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, Port Harcourt’s Ag. Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE 1 Adebayo Adeniyi expressed satisfaction with the kind gesture shown to the trainees and the EFCC throughout the period.

He promised that the Commission would ensure that the relationship is further enhanced.

“I thank the MD and all the staff of this organization because they worked together, the MD alone cannot do it all by himself. So, I thank all the staff for this effort and this is what we always advocate for, collaboration among agencies of government is very key. I want this agency to see us like brothers, don’t look at EFCC as one hawk chasing everybody. We are brothers, we need to collaborate, we need to do things together. So, I want to thank you all”, he said.

He pointed out that the graduands have been transformed into forensic experts capable of coping with difficult tasks they might face in future, analysing and experimenting on oil and gas- related exhibits to aid investigations and prosecutions.