Ogun Tribunal: Printing company denies ballot printing scandal, COVID-19 fund embezzlement
…Absolves Ogun SSG, Talabi of involvement
By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
A leading security printing company, Superflux Nigeria Limited, has denied allegations that the company was contracted to print ballots papers by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and in the process favoured certain candidates in the just concluded 2023 general elections.
In a statement, the company frowned at being tagged as conduit for money laundering, siphoning COVID19 funds, saying such allegations are clearly handiwork of mischief makers and traducers who were hell bent to tarnish the reputation of the company before its numerous customers and that of its former Director, who is presently the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi.
The company, averred that its response became necessary in the interest of the teeming members of the public who have deep trust in its longstanding integrity as well as its esteemed partners who understand the excellent reputation of the company.
According to the statement signed by the company’s Managing Director, Gabriel Okwonko, and made available to journalists over the weekend, the company said contrary to dangerous rumours making the rounds about being used to siphon COVID-19 funds, it rather generously donated millions of naira to various beneficiaries during the pandemic, in line with the conviction of its corporate social responsibility.
The statement added that a sum of Twenty Million naira was donated to Ogun State, the transaction it said was doctored by mischief makers to look as if money was sent to the company from the state’s purse, wondering why adversaries of its former director would come up with such lies for the purpose of blackmail.
The statement read, “To address these absolutely false allegations, obviously being cowardly peddled by faceless fellows, we wish to state as follows:
“Our Company is extremely mindful and jealously guards the responsibility the nature of our business puts on us as a corporate entity in the interest of our esteemed customers and the general public.
“Contrary to the false and malicious allegations making the rounds, we state emphatically that our Company has never and will never be used as a conduit for money laundering or a vehicle for syphoning public funds or any illegitimate funds at all.
“We find the false allegation that our Company retained ballot papers in the 2023 elections for the use and benefit of a particular candidate both disturbing and astonishing; as it is totally false in all ramifications.
“For the record, our Company states categorically that it was not contracted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), (the agency in charge of electoral affairs in Nigeria with mandates to conduct elections) to print ballot papers for any elections during the 2023 electoral period.
“We therefore did not print any ballot paper for for Ogun state and as such the opportunity did not arise. Therefore, the false claim by the pliable section of the media that we produced extra ballot papers and fed a parallel channel is not only baseless and false, but also aimed at achieving sinister purposes.
“We state without fear of contradiction that Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, our erstwhile director resigned in June 2019 to pursue other causes of interest to him and his resignation was accepted by our Board of Directors who wished him well in his endeavors.
“We further find assertions of being used as a conduit for syphoning COVID-19 Funds, a fund meant to support and rescue the world at the time of an explosive pandemic that claimed lives and brought businesses as well as daily life to a grinding halt, totally appalling, illogical, barbaric, extremely distasteful and blatantly false.
“In actual fact, our Company as a responsible corporate entity had, despite the low business tempo of the business environment, decided to support various communities and institutions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As a very humane company and being socially responsible, we have in recent past, embarked on various projects, interventions and donations. One of these is the N20 million donation to Ogun State COVID-19 Funds on April 6, 2020, which the hack writers and their collaborators found convenient to omit because of their evil intention.
“In the same vein, another two million one hundred thousand naira was donated in the same manner and for the same purpose but different beneficiary on April 9, 2020.
“All donations made by us were naturally debited in our accounts but, in their mischief, the fake news peddlers presented them as collections/credits.
“We find objectionable, the intrusion into our privacy and we are resolved to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to book and our legal advisers have been briefed accordingly; and surely appropriate steps will be taken against these criminals.
“Finally, we thank our customers for their continuing support and hereby warn the peddlers of malicious falsehood to desist from circulating these spurious allegations as we shall not hesitate to take legal steps in the interest of our reputation, business and integrity,” the statement read.
