Aftermath of the judgement of a Milan court in Italy exonerating Chief Dan Etete from fraud and bribery concerning transfer of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 245 from Malabu to Shell and Eni, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has called on the Federal Government to tender an unreserved apology to the former Minister of Petroleum.
Etete, who hails from Bayelsa State, faced trials for over 36 months in the United Kingdom and Italy on allegations that he was involved in corrupt practices during the Malabu oil deal.
But the Milan court dismissed the charges as baseless and ruled that Etete had no case to answer, insisting that the Malabu oil transfer settlement, agreements, negotiations and financial payments were beyond reproach.
IYC in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr Ebilade Ekerefe, described the judgement as a vindication of Etete, Bayelsa and the entire Ijaw nation.
Ekerefe asked the Federal Government to immediately return all seized assets belonging to Etete and restore all his privileges in the country.
He accused the Federal Government of always looking for any slightest infraction to hound and drag prominent Ijaw personalities, who came in contact with opportunities at the federal level while ignoring and shielding northerners allegedly involved in mega corruption deals.
It will be recalled that Etete was alleged to be involved in oil shady deal involving OPL 45 which the Federal Government insist it will investigate and get to the root of it.
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