Fraud Allegation: Nigerian Students Make Case For President Tinubu’s Ministerial Nominee, Stella Okotete

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has described as baseless and weightless the fraud allegation leveled against one of President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees, Stella Okotete.

Last week, Naija News reported that the Nigeria Police Force ordered a secret investigation of Okotete, who is a former Executive Director of Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), over the falsification of documents and monumental fraud

Okotete’s name was part of the first batch of 28 ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate by the President.

It was, however, gathered that about 24 hours after the unveiling of the ministerial list, Barrister Aare Oladotun Hassan Esq of Juryman Associate Chamber filed a petition against Okotete to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.

The petition, as gathered by this platform, bothered over the alleged falsification of documents, fraudulent misrepresentation of qualification to hold the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s) statutory position, corrupt practice, monumental fraud, and misappropriation.

Kicking against this, NANS said the allegation was an attempt to deny the Nigerian youths a quality representation in the federal executive Council.

The students, in a statement by its National Secretary, Usman Baba Kankia, clarified that it would give anything to support Okotete because it was a deliberate attempt.

The NANS said, “We will not take it lightly with anyone involved in this act.

 “NANS frowns at the petition and the allegation on the personality of Mrs. Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete in totality and further warn the enemies of Nigerian youths to desist from this evil act or face the wrath of our teeming youths.

“We wish to also state that Mrs Okotete is fully qualified as a Minister-designate and has served the nation as a graduate Corps which we can back our claim with pictorial evidence.

“As such, we are ever ready to render any support to this hardworking Nigerian who has sacrificed a lot in assisting the downtrodden populace of this nation.

“We received the news of the allegations levelled against one of the younger Ministerial nominees, Mrs. Stella Okotete, with utmost dismay and devastation.

 “We are surprised that the petitioners and those alleging her for whatsoever crime have been in this country since when she was appointed as Special Assistant to Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Sustainable Development Goals, but never brought out these allegations.”