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Showing posts with label Femi Fani Kayode. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Femi Fani Kayode. Show all posts

#Dasukigate: Fani-Kayode Detained, Olu Falae's Account Frozen

#Dasukigate: Fani-Kayode Detained, Olu Falae's Account Frozen

Contrary to earlier media reports that Chief Fani Fani-Kayode has been granted administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission over his involvement in N840m campaign fund, fresh report according to Punch Newspaper suggests the former Minister for Aviation is still in detention. He is said to  still being detained to aid further investigation, our source says.

Sources at the EFCC told our source that the sole aim of the investigation was to recover the funds.

Usman, who served as the director of finance of the campaign organisation, had returned some funds to the Federal Government and also forfeited two properties in Abuja.

A reliable source at the EFCC said, “Nenadi Usman cooperated with us and returned funds. Fani-Kayode must also do the same. We need our money back.”

Others who received parts of the N4bn include: The Goodluck Support Group headed by Prof. Rufai Alkali (N320m) while N340m was jointly received by a former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; and a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has frozen the bank account of a company belonging to a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, Punch Newspaper reports

It was gathered  that the account with the United Bank for Africa titled Marecco Nigeria Limited with number 1000627022, was frozen as part of investigations into the N4bn disbursed by the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

This is just as the EFCC detained a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, on Monday for receiving N840m from the campaign funds. The ex-minister, who arrived at  the EFCC headquarters  at 9.45am was still being quizzed as of 8.40pm.

Both Falae and Fani-Kayode were accused of receiving N940m from the Director of Finance of the campaign organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, during the build-up to the election.

The money was said to have emanated from the account of the National Security Adviser which is domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

While Falae, who was the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, collected N100m on behalf of his party, Fani-Kayode received N840m as the spokesman for the campaign organisation.

A former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, who played an advisory role in the PDP presidential campaign, was said to have given instructions that N100m should be paid to Falae.

However, both Fani-Kayode and Falae have said they never knew that the money received was government’s.

Falae had said, “It is true that N100m was given to my party to endorse and work for Jonathan candidacy in the 2015 presidential election. We used the money for that purpose and we effectively campaigned for the PDP since we did not have a presidential candidate in the election. The money was not for me.

“Thank God, I’m a retired civil servant. I have all the documents to prove all that transpired between the two parties. With all the money the PDP has and having spent 16 years in power, how would I have known that the money was from the arms deal? No reference was made to the arms deal. So, they should not bring me into the arms issue.”

Fani-Kayode had also told our correspondent that the PDP leadership gave him the impression that the money was sourced from private individuals.

He said, “I served as the director of publicity of the Jonathan campaign organisation and I was told to set up an account for the directorate, which I did. I never received money from the CBN but like all the other directors, we received money from the director of finance.

“I was assured that the funds were not public funds but were sourced from private individuals. I never knowingly spent government money all through. The money was spent specifically on the campaigns. The accounts were audited and we were commended by the President.”



Contrary to earlier media reports that Chief Fani Fani-Kayode has been granted administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission over his involvement in N840m campaign fund, fresh report according to Punch Newspaper suggests the former Minister for Aviation is still in detention. He is said to  still being detained to aid further investigation, our source says.

Sources at the EFCC told our source that the sole aim of the investigation was to recover the funds.

Usman, who served as the director of finance of the campaign organisation, had returned some funds to the Federal Government and also forfeited two properties in Abuja.

A reliable source at the EFCC said, “Nenadi Usman cooperated with us and returned funds. Fani-Kayode must also do the same. We need our money back.”

Others who received parts of the N4bn include: The Goodluck Support Group headed by Prof. Rufai Alkali (N320m) while N340m was jointly received by a former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa; and a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Viola Onwuliri.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has frozen the bank account of a company belonging to a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, Punch Newspaper reports

It was gathered  that the account with the United Bank for Africa titled Marecco Nigeria Limited with number 1000627022, was frozen as part of investigations into the N4bn disbursed by the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election.

This is just as the EFCC detained a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, on Monday for receiving N840m from the campaign funds. The ex-minister, who arrived at  the EFCC headquarters  at 9.45am was still being quizzed as of 8.40pm.

Both Falae and Fani-Kayode were accused of receiving N940m from the Director of Finance of the campaign organisation, Senator Nenadi Usman, during the build-up to the election.

The money was said to have emanated from the account of the National Security Adviser which is domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria.

While Falae, who was the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, collected N100m on behalf of his party, Fani-Kayode received N840m as the spokesman for the campaign organisation.

A former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, who played an advisory role in the PDP presidential campaign, was said to have given instructions that N100m should be paid to Falae.

However, both Fani-Kayode and Falae have said they never knew that the money received was government’s.

Falae had said, “It is true that N100m was given to my party to endorse and work for Jonathan candidacy in the 2015 presidential election. We used the money for that purpose and we effectively campaigned for the PDP since we did not have a presidential candidate in the election. The money was not for me.

“Thank God, I’m a retired civil servant. I have all the documents to prove all that transpired between the two parties. With all the money the PDP has and having spent 16 years in power, how would I have known that the money was from the arms deal? No reference was made to the arms deal. So, they should not bring me into the arms issue.”

Fani-Kayode had also told our correspondent that the PDP leadership gave him the impression that the money was sourced from private individuals.

He said, “I served as the director of publicity of the Jonathan campaign organisation and I was told to set up an account for the directorate, which I did. I never received money from the CBN but like all the other directors, we received money from the director of finance.

“I was assured that the funds were not public funds but were sourced from private individuals. I never knowingly spent government money all through. The money was spent specifically on the campaigns. The accounts were audited and we were commended by the President.”



Armed EFCC Officials Lay Siege At Fani-Kayode's Abuja Home; See Photo

Armed EFCC Officials Lay Siege At Fani-Kayode's Abuja Home; See Photo

Armed EFCC Officials Lay Siege At Fani-Kayode's Abuja Home; See Photo
Gun-wielding operatives of the EFCC laying siege
at Fani-Kayode’s  Abuja residence on Friday.
Photo: Eye-Witness Via Vanguard
Some gun-wielding operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, stormed the No 5, Zuma Close, off Aso Drive, Abuja home of  former spokesperson of Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign Organization and erstwhile Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Vanguard News reported

The cordon is coming hours after the EFCC wrote to Mr. Fani-Kayode, inviting him to appear at the commission’s headquarters on Monday, for questioning over allegations of corruption.

Mr. Fani-Kayode said in an earlier statement on Friday that he would honour the invitation and cooperate with investigators.

Shortly before 5 p.m., the former minister, who has been a vocal critic of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, issued another statement, alerting that operatives of the EFCC were at his residence.

“Today the EFCC invited me to come their office on Monday. I have their letter. I agreed to be there. Now they have surrounded my house,” Mr. Fani-Kayode wrote.

“The letter of invitation was served this morning and it was dated 6th May. They said I should report on the 9th.
“Can someone please tell me why they are at my gate? They can’t even wait because they want to detain me so badly and keep me away for the weekend.
“I never refused their invitation. Why all this? I leave them to God,” Mr. Fani-Kayode said.
Foramfera

Mr. Fani-Kayode had said on Thursday that the EFCC wished to “arrest me in public, humiliate me or to storm my home and lock me up indefinitely”.

“There is no need for all that drama and if it happens that way the Nigerian people will know why. I have no fear of the EFCC, I will respond to their invitation any day and anytime they send it to me and I will help them to clarify whatever issues they wish to raise in any way that I can,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, who earlier stormed the No 5, Zuma Close, off Aso Drive, Abuja home of  former spokesperson of Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign Organization and erstwhile Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, have left the place. 

An eye-witness who visited the scene of the siege but pleaded anonymity, said, the operatives of the anti-graft agency decided to leave when hordes of pressmen began to storm Fani-Kayode’s residence.
Armed EFCC Officials Lay Siege At Fani-Kayode's Abuja Home; See Photo
Gun-wielding operatives of the EFCC laying siege
at Fani-Kayode’s  Abuja residence on Friday.
Photo: Eye-Witness Via Vanguard
Some gun-wielding operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, stormed the No 5, Zuma Close, off Aso Drive, Abuja home of  former spokesperson of Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign Organization and erstwhile Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Vanguard News reported

The cordon is coming hours after the EFCC wrote to Mr. Fani-Kayode, inviting him to appear at the commission’s headquarters on Monday, for questioning over allegations of corruption.

Mr. Fani-Kayode said in an earlier statement on Friday that he would honour the invitation and cooperate with investigators.

Shortly before 5 p.m., the former minister, who has been a vocal critic of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, issued another statement, alerting that operatives of the EFCC were at his residence.

“Today the EFCC invited me to come their office on Monday. I have their letter. I agreed to be there. Now they have surrounded my house,” Mr. Fani-Kayode wrote.

“The letter of invitation was served this morning and it was dated 6th May. They said I should report on the 9th.
“Can someone please tell me why they are at my gate? They can’t even wait because they want to detain me so badly and keep me away for the weekend.
“I never refused their invitation. Why all this? I leave them to God,” Mr. Fani-Kayode said.
Foramfera

Mr. Fani-Kayode had said on Thursday that the EFCC wished to “arrest me in public, humiliate me or to storm my home and lock me up indefinitely”.

“There is no need for all that drama and if it happens that way the Nigerian people will know why. I have no fear of the EFCC, I will respond to their invitation any day and anytime they send it to me and I will help them to clarify whatever issues they wish to raise in any way that I can,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, who earlier stormed the No 5, Zuma Close, off Aso Drive, Abuja home of  former spokesperson of Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign Organization and erstwhile Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, have left the place. 

An eye-witness who visited the scene of the siege but pleaded anonymity, said, the operatives of the anti-graft agency decided to leave when hordes of pressmen began to storm Fani-Kayode’s residence.

Fani-Kayode 'On The Run', 'Tip-toed' Into Hiding Over N2.5b Fraud

Fani-Kayode 'On The Run', 'Tip-toed' Into Hiding Over N2.5b Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, the EFCC has launched a manhunt for a former Aviation Minister Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, who “has refused to report to the agency for interaction”, an EFCC source told The Nation Newspaper

“All attempts by our operatives to locate the whereabouts  of Mr. Fani-Kayode have failed because he has not only switched off his phones, he has virtually gone underground,” the source said, adding: “We will fish him out wherever he is. Having been watch-listed by the EFCC,  he cannot hide for long .”

Fani-Kayode is rated as “the chief beneficiary” of the disbursement of the slush funds as he allegedly received N840million, paid in three tranches into his Zenith Bank, Maitama branch account with No.1004735721.

The EFCC source gave the details of the transactions from Mrs Usman company’s accounts to Fani-Kayode and others.

The source said: “The first tranche of payment involving N350million hit the account on February 19, 2015. Another N250milion was also paid into the account on February19, 2015 while N240million was similarly credited to the account a month later; precisely March 19, 2015.

“The balance on this account as at 31st December, 2015 was N189, 402.72.”

The Goodluck Support Group allegedly received N320million

Falae allegedly received N100m through Marreco Limited, a company in which he is listed as chairman. The fund was credited into the company’s United Bank for Africa Plc account No. 1000627022 on March 25, 2014. The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation has denied any wrongdoing.

“Both Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri got N350million in two tranches. The first tranche of N150million was paid into their joint account with Zenith Bank on January 13, 2015. The second tranche of N200miilion was credited into their account with Diamond Bank,” the source said, pleading not to be named because he is not permitted to talk to the media.

Okey Ezenwa is believed to have received N100million.

Fani-Kayode has said that he got the cash for campaign purposes and that he rendered and account of how it was spent. He never knew the source of the cash, he said.

Udenwa said: “The money was disbursed with approval from the presidential campaign headquarters. It was not paid into my personal account.”
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, the EFCC has launched a manhunt for a former Aviation Minister Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, who “has refused to report to the agency for interaction”, an EFCC source told The Nation Newspaper

“All attempts by our operatives to locate the whereabouts  of Mr. Fani-Kayode have failed because he has not only switched off his phones, he has virtually gone underground,” the source said, adding: “We will fish him out wherever he is. Having been watch-listed by the EFCC,  he cannot hide for long .”

Fani-Kayode is rated as “the chief beneficiary” of the disbursement of the slush funds as he allegedly received N840million, paid in three tranches into his Zenith Bank, Maitama branch account with No.1004735721.

The EFCC source gave the details of the transactions from Mrs Usman company’s accounts to Fani-Kayode and others.

The source said: “The first tranche of payment involving N350million hit the account on February 19, 2015. Another N250milion was also paid into the account on February19, 2015 while N240million was similarly credited to the account a month later; precisely March 19, 2015.

“The balance on this account as at 31st December, 2015 was N189, 402.72.”

The Goodluck Support Group allegedly received N320million

Falae allegedly received N100m through Marreco Limited, a company in which he is listed as chairman. The fund was credited into the company’s United Bank for Africa Plc account No. 1000627022 on March 25, 2014. The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation has denied any wrongdoing.

“Both Achike Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri got N350million in two tranches. The first tranche of N150million was paid into their joint account with Zenith Bank on January 13, 2015. The second tranche of N200miilion was credited into their account with Diamond Bank,” the source said, pleading not to be named because he is not permitted to talk to the media.

Okey Ezenwa is believed to have received N100million.

Fani-Kayode has said that he got the cash for campaign purposes and that he rendered and account of how it was spent. He never knew the source of the cash, he said.

Udenwa said: “The money was disbursed with approval from the presidential campaign headquarters. It was not paid into my personal account.”

So Our Ladies Are Rogues, By Goke Butika

So Our Ladies Are Rogues, By Goke Butika

"Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't,"---Margaret Thatcher
So Our Ladies Are Rogues, By Goke Butika
I have always known that the embezzled arms funds allegedly misused by Ibrahim Dasuki would be more than two billion dollars, and I am least shocked that the figure has risen to 15 billion dollars aside from four billion naira the central bank handed over to the personal guard of the former President Goodluck Jonathan for the prosecution of presidential primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pre- 2015 general election.

Hmmm! There is always wisdom in the axiom that, "what a man does, a woman can do better," going by the way and manner Mrs. Nnadi Usman, a Senator of the seventh Senate and former Minister of Finance was used as the conduit pipe to fleece this country that paid her so much for doing little. While she was caught "pant down" in stealing spree, she quickly cooperated with Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and sang like parrot before she returned N23 million liquid cash under her pillow, and promised to return more as long as she is able to dispose some of her properties.

Already, two luxurious mansions in Abuja highbrow had been seized and she was willing, according to a news report to offer more properties to leverage her prosecution and administrative bail, because according to her, she is contending with health challenges. What a primitive acquisition of wealth.
By marriage, Nnadi Usman is a Muslim and Hausa man's wife. Another striking news was that of Diezani Madueke, the erstwhile czar of petroleum resources under Jonathan was said to have her two million British pound wrist watch seized by the foreign security operative in United Kingdom. Oh, you are also wondering who a sane person would want to impress with that kind of wristwatch? Anyway, it is another way of keeping money. By marriage and birth, Diezani is a Christian of Igbo extraction.

In a related development, the wife of the former Chief of Naval staff, under the watch of Jonathan, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu was said to have acted a front for her husband, as the anti-graft agency traced two billion naira to her account apart from one million dollars the security operatives unearthed from their soak away. By birth and marriage, Kemi Amosu is of Yoruba stock. The import of this is that roguery is not peculiar with ethnic or religious boundaries.

Mrs. Usman did a yeoman job during the last election for her party, PDP. As she took the custody of her billions of naira from the arms deal on the instruction of Jonathan, she began to do "justice" to the largess by dishing out N840 million to that loquacious turn-coat, Femi Fani Kayode, Morally bankrupt Ondo chief, Olu Falae and others. No wonder, Fani-Kayode threw his life into the struggle for "Jonathan must continue"; he deployed all indecent arsenals against candidate Buhari, he called the APC leaders names, he unleashed all high sounding words laced with British accent on whoever called for logical debates on governance. Aftermath, he began to celebrate his new model range rover SUV, he showcased his thoroughly toned skin girlfriend, but quietly went underground when Jonathan was thrown out of his job.

Hennhenn! The abductors of Olu Falae must have known he got N100 million from arms deal, before demanding exact amount from his family as ransom, but the man was so secretive that he elected not to inform his family and his group, compromised Afenifere whose past time is to criticize government until it is invited to a negotiation table on parochial interest.

As if he had done no wrong, the so called Yoruba leader, Falae said he did not collect money from Dasuki but Chief Tony Anenih, as if Anenih is Dangote, as if Anenih was not the chairman of the Board of PDP, but he chose his narrative to trivialize the issue, unknown to him that people are not impressed with his story.

Besides, are you provoked by the seeming madness of some women of power? Oh, you cannot fathom why a person would use two million British pounds wrist watch, while her kinsmen and women are wallowing in abject poverty. You can not simply comprehend why a mortal would be comfortable wearing two million pound English gold jewelry, while her countrymen could not receive monthly salaries. That was inanities the men and women of yesterday spent Nigerian fortune on.

Quite pathetic, some groups abroad were decorating Goodluck Jonathan who dragged Nigeria to this sorry state, because he handed over to his successor who resoundingly beat him at the last general election, even some of our clerics want us to forgive Jonathan for finding courage to handover at all. What a country!

The long and short story is that, yes, there was global economic challenge as a result of perpetual permutation in dynamics of economics , but Nigeria's case is largely on mismanagement of resources and perennial leadership failure. We had lost fortune to stealing perpetrated by very few individuals, thousands of innocent people were hurriedly dispatched to their shallow graves based on the sharing of funds meant for the military equipment to fight terrorism. And when the former Central Bank Governor now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said over N48 billion could not be accounted for, Jonathan and his economic witches cried blue murder; Jonathan even said in Lagos that if such amount was missing America would know because it is its money.

Today, cat is gradually coming out of the bag. Please, blame Buhari for all the woes of the country, after all he threw his hat into the ring for it, but please evaluate the rot very well and convince yourself on where the blame should be placed.

Butikakuro is an intercontinental journalist.
"Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't,"---Margaret Thatcher
So Our Ladies Are Rogues, By Goke Butika
I have always known that the embezzled arms funds allegedly misused by Ibrahim Dasuki would be more than two billion dollars, and I am least shocked that the figure has risen to 15 billion dollars aside from four billion naira the central bank handed over to the personal guard of the former President Goodluck Jonathan for the prosecution of presidential primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) pre- 2015 general election.

Hmmm! There is always wisdom in the axiom that, "what a man does, a woman can do better," going by the way and manner Mrs. Nnadi Usman, a Senator of the seventh Senate and former Minister of Finance was used as the conduit pipe to fleece this country that paid her so much for doing little. While she was caught "pant down" in stealing spree, she quickly cooperated with Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and sang like parrot before she returned N23 million liquid cash under her pillow, and promised to return more as long as she is able to dispose some of her properties.

Already, two luxurious mansions in Abuja highbrow had been seized and she was willing, according to a news report to offer more properties to leverage her prosecution and administrative bail, because according to her, she is contending with health challenges. What a primitive acquisition of wealth.
By marriage, Nnadi Usman is a Muslim and Hausa man's wife. Another striking news was that of Diezani Madueke, the erstwhile czar of petroleum resources under Jonathan was said to have her two million British pound wrist watch seized by the foreign security operative in United Kingdom. Oh, you are also wondering who a sane person would want to impress with that kind of wristwatch? Anyway, it is another way of keeping money. By marriage and birth, Diezani is a Christian of Igbo extraction.

In a related development, the wife of the former Chief of Naval staff, under the watch of Jonathan, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu was said to have acted a front for her husband, as the anti-graft agency traced two billion naira to her account apart from one million dollars the security operatives unearthed from their soak away. By birth and marriage, Kemi Amosu is of Yoruba stock. The import of this is that roguery is not peculiar with ethnic or religious boundaries.

Mrs. Usman did a yeoman job during the last election for her party, PDP. As she took the custody of her billions of naira from the arms deal on the instruction of Jonathan, she began to do "justice" to the largess by dishing out N840 million to that loquacious turn-coat, Femi Fani Kayode, Morally bankrupt Ondo chief, Olu Falae and others. No wonder, Fani-Kayode threw his life into the struggle for "Jonathan must continue"; he deployed all indecent arsenals against candidate Buhari, he called the APC leaders names, he unleashed all high sounding words laced with British accent on whoever called for logical debates on governance. Aftermath, he began to celebrate his new model range rover SUV, he showcased his thoroughly toned skin girlfriend, but quietly went underground when Jonathan was thrown out of his job.

Hennhenn! The abductors of Olu Falae must have known he got N100 million from arms deal, before demanding exact amount from his family as ransom, but the man was so secretive that he elected not to inform his family and his group, compromised Afenifere whose past time is to criticize government until it is invited to a negotiation table on parochial interest.

As if he had done no wrong, the so called Yoruba leader, Falae said he did not collect money from Dasuki but Chief Tony Anenih, as if Anenih is Dangote, as if Anenih was not the chairman of the Board of PDP, but he chose his narrative to trivialize the issue, unknown to him that people are not impressed with his story.

Besides, are you provoked by the seeming madness of some women of power? Oh, you cannot fathom why a person would use two million British pounds wrist watch, while her kinsmen and women are wallowing in abject poverty. You can not simply comprehend why a mortal would be comfortable wearing two million pound English gold jewelry, while her countrymen could not receive monthly salaries. That was inanities the men and women of yesterday spent Nigerian fortune on.

Quite pathetic, some groups abroad were decorating Goodluck Jonathan who dragged Nigeria to this sorry state, because he handed over to his successor who resoundingly beat him at the last general election, even some of our clerics want us to forgive Jonathan for finding courage to handover at all. What a country!

The long and short story is that, yes, there was global economic challenge as a result of perpetual permutation in dynamics of economics , but Nigeria's case is largely on mismanagement of resources and perennial leadership failure. We had lost fortune to stealing perpetrated by very few individuals, thousands of innocent people were hurriedly dispatched to their shallow graves based on the sharing of funds meant for the military equipment to fight terrorism. And when the former Central Bank Governor now Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said over N48 billion could not be accounted for, Jonathan and his economic witches cried blue murder; Jonathan even said in Lagos that if such amount was missing America would know because it is its money.

Today, cat is gradually coming out of the bag. Please, blame Buhari for all the woes of the country, after all he threw his hat into the ring for it, but please evaluate the rot very well and convince yourself on where the blame should be placed.

Butikakuro is an intercontinental journalist.

Fani-Kayode, Lebile 18 others Jailed 6 Years Each Over Oil Theft, See Photos

Fani-Kayode, Lebile 18 others Jailed 6 Years Each Over Oil Theft, See Photos

Fani-Kayode, Lebile 18 others Jailed 6 Years Each Over Oil Theft, See Photos
Some of the jailed oil thieves at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos
Source: PM News
Apparently not Chief Femi Fani Kayode, the former Aviation Minister but one Adesunloye Fani-Kayode  and 19 others were jailed  by Justice Ibrahim Buba of Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on Wednesday for illegal dealing and storage of petroleum products, PM News reported.

Others who were jailed according to PM News are, Captain Daniel Lebile, Ala Ibanibo, Wole Ajayi, Michael Mgbanwa, Segun Ekundemi, Johnson Mashebinu, Ndidi Benjamin, Bright Nwaezuoke, Blessing Omoviye and Kayode Ireti are part of 20 accused jailed 

Others who are also jailed are Chuks Isiwepkweni, Friday Nchikpa, Peter Bayo, Ubom Amos, Zuopamo Embiowei, Olabamerun Owolemi, Adams Husseini, Ebisingha Timmy and Godwin Oputeh, MV Long Island and their companies Afa Global Impex Services Limited and GFL Marine Service Limited.

One of the charges read, “that you, MV Long Island , AFA Global Impex Services Limited, GFL Marine Services Limited, Ala Atubokiki Ibanibo, Wole Ajayi, Adesunloye Alexander, Fani Kayode, Captain Daniel Lebile, Micheal Mgbanwa, Segun Ekundemi, Joghnson Mashebinu, Ndidi Benjamin, Bright Nwaezuoke, Blessing Omoviye, Kayode Biboye Ireti, Chuks Isiwepkweni, Friday Nchikpa, Peter Bayo, Ubom Amos , Zuopamo Embiowei, Olabamerun Owolemi, Adams Husseini, Ebisingha Timmy, Godwin Oputeh, Ebimie Norwigeh (Still at large) and Olabamerin Damilola Smart (now at large) on or about the 2nd day of December 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: dealing in petroleum products without lawful authority or appropriate license contrary to Section 19(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and punishable under the same Act”.

They have pleaded not guilty. In the course of the trial, the prosecution called four witnesses.

In his judgment, Justice Buba held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt. He therefore, sentenced the convicts to two years imprisonment on each of the three counts, starting from December 2, 2014, when the convicts were arrested with an option of N200, 000.00k (Two hundred thousand naira) fine for each count.

The convicts are to forfeit all the seized vessels, cargoes and properties to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while the jail terms will run concurrently, the PM New report says

View More Photos:

Fani-Kayode, Lebile 18 others Jailed 6 Years Each Over Oil Theft, See Photos
Some of the jailed oil thieves at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos
Sorce: PM News

Fani-Kayode, Lebile 18 others Jailed 6 Years Each Over Oil Theft, See Photos
Long Island ship arrested by the Nigerian Navy and handed over to EFCC
Source: PM News



Fani-Kayode, Lebile 18 others Jailed 6 Years Each Over Oil Theft, See Photos
Some of the jailed oil thieves at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos
Source: PM News
Apparently not Chief Femi Fani Kayode, the former Aviation Minister but one Adesunloye Fani-Kayode  and 19 others were jailed  by Justice Ibrahim Buba of Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on Wednesday for illegal dealing and storage of petroleum products, PM News reported.

Others who were jailed according to PM News are, Captain Daniel Lebile, Ala Ibanibo, Wole Ajayi, Michael Mgbanwa, Segun Ekundemi, Johnson Mashebinu, Ndidi Benjamin, Bright Nwaezuoke, Blessing Omoviye and Kayode Ireti are part of 20 accused jailed 

Others who are also jailed are Chuks Isiwepkweni, Friday Nchikpa, Peter Bayo, Ubom Amos, Zuopamo Embiowei, Olabamerun Owolemi, Adams Husseini, Ebisingha Timmy and Godwin Oputeh, MV Long Island and their companies Afa Global Impex Services Limited and GFL Marine Service Limited.

One of the charges read, “that you, MV Long Island , AFA Global Impex Services Limited, GFL Marine Services Limited, Ala Atubokiki Ibanibo, Wole Ajayi, Adesunloye Alexander, Fani Kayode, Captain Daniel Lebile, Micheal Mgbanwa, Segun Ekundemi, Joghnson Mashebinu, Ndidi Benjamin, Bright Nwaezuoke, Blessing Omoviye, Kayode Biboye Ireti, Chuks Isiwepkweni, Friday Nchikpa, Peter Bayo, Ubom Amos , Zuopamo Embiowei, Olabamerun Owolemi, Adams Husseini, Ebisingha Timmy, Godwin Oputeh, Ebimie Norwigeh (Still at large) and Olabamerin Damilola Smart (now at large) on or about the 2nd day of December 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: dealing in petroleum products without lawful authority or appropriate license contrary to Section 19(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and punishable under the same Act”.

They have pleaded not guilty. In the course of the trial, the prosecution called four witnesses.

In his judgment, Justice Buba held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond all reasonable doubt. He therefore, sentenced the convicts to two years imprisonment on each of the three counts, starting from December 2, 2014, when the convicts were arrested with an option of N200, 000.00k (Two hundred thousand naira) fine for each count.

The convicts are to forfeit all the seized vessels, cargoes and properties to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, while the jail terms will run concurrently, the PM New report says

View More Photos:

Fani-Kayode, Lebile 18 others Jailed 6 Years Each Over Oil Theft, See Photos
Some of the jailed oil thieves at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos
Sorce: PM News

Fani-Kayode, Lebile 18 others Jailed 6 Years Each Over Oil Theft, See Photos
Long Island ship arrested by the Nigerian Navy and handed over to EFCC
Source: PM News



The Money Transfers And The Truth About The Presidential Campaign Funds, By Femi Fani-Kayode

The Money Transfers And The Truth About The Presidential Campaign Funds, By Femi Fani-Kayode

''The truth is like a lion. You don't have to defend it. Let it lose and it will defend itself''- St. Augustine.
For the last few weeks I have been the subject of absurd and outlandish headline stories in various newspapers who have accused me of being a fraudster and who have claimed that funds were transferred into my bank account by the former National Security Advisor, Col. Sambo Dasuki and by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
They have also claimed that I used public funds for the Presidential campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The attempt to tarnish my name, paint me as a common criminal and convict me of wrongdoing in the court of public opinion without even hearing my side of the story is petty, shameful and nauseating.
It is also a reflection of the desperation of those that seek to pull me down and destroy me simply because my opposition to this government has been unrelenting.
In January 2015 I was appointed as the Director of Media and Publicity for the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Director-General of the Campaign Organisation was Senator Ahmadu Alli and the Deputy Director-Generals were Alhaji Ibrahim Turaki SAN (north) and Governor Peter Obi (south).
Chief Tony Anenih, an elderstatesman and one of the most distinguished and reverred leaders in our country, was the Presidential Advisor to the Campaign Organisation.
There were at least 10 other Directors and Directorates apart from me and mine including the Directorate of Mobilisation which was led by the respected Professor Jerry Gana and the Directorate of Administration which was led by Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo. There were also zonal and state Directors of the Presidential Campaign Organisation in all the zones and states of the country.
All these names that I have mentioned including all the other Directors whose names I have not mentioned are, as far as I am aware, men and women of immense integrity and good character and they have mostly been either Ministers of the Federal Republic or state Governors at one time or the other in our history. It was an honor to serve alongside such people and I have absolutely no regrets about doing so.
Yet given the fact that I was not the only Director in the Campaign Organisation and in view of the fact that all the Directors and zonal and state Directors got their funds from the same source and account as I did, one wonders why only I and three others should be singled out for this reprehensible treatment and these false allegations.
I chose to remain silent on the issue up until now simply because the allegations have not been officially made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or anyone else but the newspapers keep citing their sources "inside the EFCC" as their basis for these shameful allegations.
Mr. Josef Goebbels, Chancellor Adolf Hitler's Information Minister when Germany was in the terrible grip of the Nazi party, said that once a lie is repeated enough times it becomes truth to those who are continuously subjected to it. This is especially so if it goes unchallenged.
I cannot sit by silently as my name is dragged through the mud in this way and I am convicted in the court of public opinion. This has happened to me once before and it took me seven years to clear my name. It will not happen to me again.
Consequently I am constrained to take this opportunity to state the facts of this matter, set the record straight and await my traducers and accusers to make their next move. It is indeed time to challenge those that are making these allegations and to kill the lie.
The fact that my bank account was frozen on the orders of the EFCC two weeks ago without any explanation is proof of the fact that I am being targetted and that those that seek to have their wicked way with me are about to pounce.
Given this it is important that all the relevant facts are put before the world before I am subjected to the Dasuki treatment, put away indefinately and not given the opportunity to defend myself before the public. Meanwhile, in their usual manner, after this is done the EFCC will then flood the media with all manner of lies about my so-called atrocities which only exist in the figment of their imagination.
The allegation of fraud and the receipt of public funds from the National.Security Advisors Office and Central Bank into my bank account is false.
These allegations are baseless, wicked, shameful and irresponsible. It is not true that ANY money was paid into my account by or from the National Security Advisor's Office, the Central Bank of Nigeria or any other government agency or institution last year or at any other time.
As the Director of Media and Publicity of the Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation I was asked to submit a budget for my Directorate by Chief Tony Anenih, the Presidential Advisor to the Presidential Campaign Organisation and Mrs. Nenadi Usman, the Director of Finance.
My team and I prepared the budget and it was approved.
Rather than collect cash, for security reasons and the purposes of accountability I was advised by the Director of Finance to open a bank account for this purpose, which I did.
The funds were paid into that account in installments at the beginning of last year by the Director of Finance and each deposit was authorized and approved by the Presidential Advisor to the PCO, Chief Tony Anenih. The account that they used to transfer the money to me was a private company account which was owned or under the control of the Director of Finance.
It was the same company and account that was used to send money to all the other Directors of the PCO and the Zonal Directors, State Directors and all our PDP governorship and legislative candidates during the various campaigns.
I made a point of asking what the source of the funds in this account were and I was told by the Director of Finance that the funds were sourced from private individuals and private companies who opted to support and fund President Jonathan's campaign. She told me that no money was paid into her company from any government official, account or agency. This she told me in the prescence of witnesses and I believed her.
I was told that there was a fundraising event held by our party (PDP) which took place in early January 2015 in which billions of naira was raised specifically for the Presidential campaign. I believed this to be true and I had no reason to doubt it.
Our funds were given to us by the President who was the leader of our party through the Director of Finance of the PCO and we were not in a position to inquire into the sources of funding of the party's campaign. Indeed, it was not our responsibility to do so.
Once I got these clarifications and confirmation I agreed to receive the funds into my bank account and use them for their stated purpose.
The transfers were made and I used the funds to carry out all our operations during the course of the presidential campaign.
It was an aggressive and well-run campaign and we gave our opponents a very hard time indeed. It was also very expensive and we barely had the resources that we really needed but we did an effective job with the little we were given.
The whole nation, including our friends and our enemies, can bear witness to that and they saw the excellent quality of our work. Hardly anyone can dispute this yet some fail to appreciate the fact that such a strong showing costs a lot of money. Media and publicity campaigns cannot be run on goodwill alone: you need cash and plenty of it.
During the course of the election and after its conclusion I submitted detailed accounts of our expenses and evidence of our work to the Director of Finance of the PCO for onward transmission to the Director-General of the PCO and ultimately President Jonathan himself about how the money was spent and they were satisfied.
Given the fact that these were not public funds the only legal body that can inquire into our expenditure of campaign funds is President Goodluck Jonathan who set up the PCO.
I was commended for my efforts by him and I can proudly say that my Directorate did not owe any individual, service provider, organisation or media outfit that provided any services to us one kobo at the close of the campaign.
All our debts were paid and obligations met during and just after the election. The suggestion that there was any fraud in any of this or that I colluded and conspired with others to use government money to run a campaign is false and very insulting.
The suggestion that the money was some kind of "cash bonanza" or "bazaar" as has been reported by the leading pro-government newspaper in the country today is childish and absurd.
If that had been the case I doubt that I would have been foolish enough to open a bank account to receive government funds or "bazaar funds" as this would have been easily traced.
If I had anything to hide or if I was doing anything wrong I would have insisted on collecting cash for my operations which would have been far easier to conceal.
The fact that the EFCC gained access to my bank account and leaked details of it to the media including my inflows is not only a gross violation of my privacy but it is also unlawful.
I was a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ten years ago and I was a key official in the Presidency thirteen years ago. I had the honor and privilage of serving my country in these two capacities when the father of our nation, President Olusegun Obasanjo, was our President. Consequently I am familiar with the workings and importance of accountability, due diligence and due process.
This is why I was very careful with how we managed our resources at the Directorate and why I appointed a seasoned civil servant who retired from the civil service with commendation at the Director level as my Director of Finance in my Directorate.
I was also mindful of the fact that I had to be very careful with the management of funds that were put under my care given the fact that I had been wrongly accused and viciously persecuted by the Yar'adua administration and the Farida Waziri-led EFCC with trumped up and baseless criminal charges for the previous seven years.
That whole ordeal almost ruined my life and my career but God was with me throughout and He delivered me from their evil because I had done nothing wrong. On 1st July 2015 I was acquitted by a duly constituted court of law of all those charges and I give God the glory for that.
Yet the struggle continues. I am appalled at the behavior of the EFCC in this latest matter but I am not surprised because they have had it in for me for many years.
Their almost obsessive interest in me and their motivation to destroy me is essentially political and partly personal and this has always been so. In short, just as was the case seven years ago, they are being used by the powers that be and by forces that are far above them. To that extent I sympathise with them.
Yet if this is an attempt to intimidate, silence or distract me they shall fail because I am not a coward and I do not fear them or those that sent them to torment me.
And neither will I sit by idly and watch them trying to destroy me again. Their allegations are malicious and self-serving and there is no substance or truth in them. We did not run the Presidential Campaign Organization or my Directorate with paper or hot air: we ran them with money. There is no crime in that.
A substantial portion of that money was paid by my Directorate directly to the media for rallies, television, radio and newspaper adverts and jingles together with many other services rendered and we have all the records and documents to prove it. As stated earlier those records have been duly submitted to the relevant quarters and they commended us for our work.
I did not run the Directorate alone and I had at least 10 Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors and Sub-Directors, who were all also appointed by President Jonathan, working under me.
I was responsible for the funding of each and every one of their various operations. Our entire team was dedicated and we all worked very hard because we believed passionately in our candidate and our party.
I have yet to hear of any Presidential Campaign Organization anywhere in the world that was run without any money and that was funded with just goodwill.
I might add that we spent far less money than the APC and the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organization because they had access to massive amounts of state government funds and they used those funds effectively. For every million naira we spent they spent ten.
They even contracted the services of a famous American media consultant (the same one that President Obama used in 2008) and paid him ten million U.S. dollars for his counsel and advice. They had fleets of cars and buses whilst my Directorate was not even given one vehicle to get our people around.
The official jeep that was meant to have been given to us for our operations during the campaign was high jacked and it never arrived.
We were forced to use our own personal vehicles and we were glad to do so. Yet the other side had everything that money could buy. They even chartered numerous private jets throughout the campaign to get around the country. Where did they get all their funding from? Why is the EFCC not leaking stories or talking about that?
Instead of using the EFCC to try to rubbish me and my colleagues and smear our good names, those that are in power today should tell us where they got their campaign funds from and how much of it came from the Governments of Lagos and Rivers state.
The two people that headed those two state governments then are now both Federal Ministers today. One of them, who was the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, was specifically indicted by a Judicial Commission of Inquiry for using millions of dollars of state government funds to run the Buhari campaign yet nothing happened and his reward was to be appointed as a Minister.
Again what about the 5 billion naira cash that was flown down to Port Harcourt in Rivers state from Abuja in chartered plane a couple of days before the re-run election that took place on March 19th 2016. Where did they get that amount of cash from and what was its purpose and source?
What has the EFCC said or leaked about that? It appears that there is one law for those that are in power today and another for those that are not. Why persecute the innocent and leave the guilty? Was it a crime to fight and lose an election?
If Jonathan had not been a gentleman and if he had insisted on remaining in power at all costs or challenging the outcome of the election in court would we have the peace that we are enjoying in our country today?
Have those that are behind all this nonsense forgotten all that so soon or is it that they are just drunk with power and they are on a mission of revenge? If that is the case are they then worthy of the power that God has given them and should He not take it away from them before it is too late and they set the country on fire?
If there was any wrongdoing can the EFCC honestly put their hands on their chest and say that those of us that were asked to do a job and given money to do that job knew anything about it?
Were we the ones that sourced the funds and were we expected to launch our own private investigation into where the funds came from before accepting to receive and use them for the job we were asked to do?
In their heart of hearts they know that the answer to the two questions are both in the negative. Instead of going after the right people they wish to use the situation to embarrass and shame those of us that they see as the President's political enemies and critics just to further defame, malign and humiliate us and destroy our future and careers.
This is vindictive, petty and wicked and, as long as the Lord is on the throne, it will not stand. It is a very dangerous precedent and I sincerely hope that all stakeholders take note of the implications of what is brewing and going on.
It would be a very dangerous thing and utterly counter-productive for this government to open a can of worms and try to implicate innocent men and women who were simply doing their job and who knew nothing about any wrong-doing or illicit and illegal transactions or bank transfers of public funds from or to government accounts.
I wish to remind them that they will not be in power forever. Sooner or later the tables will turn and they themselves will be subjected to the malicious lies, false allegations, smear campaigns, injustice, brutality and persecution that they are presently subjecting others to. It is only a question of time.
Now let the Ancient of Days and He who never sleeps or slumbers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, judge between this government and all those innocent men and women that they are demonising and persecuting and that they seek to torment and destroy.
As long as Jesus is on the throne and our hands are clean, no matter how long it takes, we shall prevail and ultimately they will pay a heavy price for their malice, injustice and wickedness.
These are facts and readers can be rest assured that I will say nothing different to this if and when I am formally asked by anyone or any agency. When the EFCC begin to leak their falsehood and sallacious allegations to their agents in the media kindly take note of the fact that, as usual, they will be telling tall tales and they will be lying.
Now I challenge them to do their worse. I have no fear of them or of those who have sent them to do this dirty job. May God judge them all and may He reward them for their wickedness.
''The truth is like a lion. You don't have to defend it. Let it lose and it will defend itself''- St. Augustine.
For the last few weeks I have been the subject of absurd and outlandish headline stories in various newspapers who have accused me of being a fraudster and who have claimed that funds were transferred into my bank account by the former National Security Advisor, Col. Sambo Dasuki and by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
They have also claimed that I used public funds for the Presidential campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The attempt to tarnish my name, paint me as a common criminal and convict me of wrongdoing in the court of public opinion without even hearing my side of the story is petty, shameful and nauseating.
It is also a reflection of the desperation of those that seek to pull me down and destroy me simply because my opposition to this government has been unrelenting.
In January 2015 I was appointed as the Director of Media and Publicity for the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Director-General of the Campaign Organisation was Senator Ahmadu Alli and the Deputy Director-Generals were Alhaji Ibrahim Turaki SAN (north) and Governor Peter Obi (south).
Chief Tony Anenih, an elderstatesman and one of the most distinguished and reverred leaders in our country, was the Presidential Advisor to the Campaign Organisation.
There were at least 10 other Directors and Directorates apart from me and mine including the Directorate of Mobilisation which was led by the respected Professor Jerry Gana and the Directorate of Administration which was led by Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo. There were also zonal and state Directors of the Presidential Campaign Organisation in all the zones and states of the country.
All these names that I have mentioned including all the other Directors whose names I have not mentioned are, as far as I am aware, men and women of immense integrity and good character and they have mostly been either Ministers of the Federal Republic or state Governors at one time or the other in our history. It was an honor to serve alongside such people and I have absolutely no regrets about doing so.
Yet given the fact that I was not the only Director in the Campaign Organisation and in view of the fact that all the Directors and zonal and state Directors got their funds from the same source and account as I did, one wonders why only I and three others should be singled out for this reprehensible treatment and these false allegations.
I chose to remain silent on the issue up until now simply because the allegations have not been officially made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or anyone else but the newspapers keep citing their sources "inside the EFCC" as their basis for these shameful allegations.
Mr. Josef Goebbels, Chancellor Adolf Hitler's Information Minister when Germany was in the terrible grip of the Nazi party, said that once a lie is repeated enough times it becomes truth to those who are continuously subjected to it. This is especially so if it goes unchallenged.
I cannot sit by silently as my name is dragged through the mud in this way and I am convicted in the court of public opinion. This has happened to me once before and it took me seven years to clear my name. It will not happen to me again.
Consequently I am constrained to take this opportunity to state the facts of this matter, set the record straight and await my traducers and accusers to make their next move. It is indeed time to challenge those that are making these allegations and to kill the lie.
The fact that my bank account was frozen on the orders of the EFCC two weeks ago without any explanation is proof of the fact that I am being targetted and that those that seek to have their wicked way with me are about to pounce.
Given this it is important that all the relevant facts are put before the world before I am subjected to the Dasuki treatment, put away indefinately and not given the opportunity to defend myself before the public. Meanwhile, in their usual manner, after this is done the EFCC will then flood the media with all manner of lies about my so-called atrocities which only exist in the figment of their imagination.
The allegation of fraud and the receipt of public funds from the National.Security Advisors Office and Central Bank into my bank account is false.
These allegations are baseless, wicked, shameful and irresponsible. It is not true that ANY money was paid into my account by or from the National Security Advisor's Office, the Central Bank of Nigeria or any other government agency or institution last year or at any other time.
As the Director of Media and Publicity of the Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation I was asked to submit a budget for my Directorate by Chief Tony Anenih, the Presidential Advisor to the Presidential Campaign Organisation and Mrs. Nenadi Usman, the Director of Finance.
My team and I prepared the budget and it was approved.
Rather than collect cash, for security reasons and the purposes of accountability I was advised by the Director of Finance to open a bank account for this purpose, which I did.
The funds were paid into that account in installments at the beginning of last year by the Director of Finance and each deposit was authorized and approved by the Presidential Advisor to the PCO, Chief Tony Anenih. The account that they used to transfer the money to me was a private company account which was owned or under the control of the Director of Finance.
It was the same company and account that was used to send money to all the other Directors of the PCO and the Zonal Directors, State Directors and all our PDP governorship and legislative candidates during the various campaigns.
I made a point of asking what the source of the funds in this account were and I was told by the Director of Finance that the funds were sourced from private individuals and private companies who opted to support and fund President Jonathan's campaign. She told me that no money was paid into her company from any government official, account or agency. This she told me in the prescence of witnesses and I believed her.
I was told that there was a fundraising event held by our party (PDP) which took place in early January 2015 in which billions of naira was raised specifically for the Presidential campaign. I believed this to be true and I had no reason to doubt it.
Our funds were given to us by the President who was the leader of our party through the Director of Finance of the PCO and we were not in a position to inquire into the sources of funding of the party's campaign. Indeed, it was not our responsibility to do so.
Once I got these clarifications and confirmation I agreed to receive the funds into my bank account and use them for their stated purpose.
The transfers were made and I used the funds to carry out all our operations during the course of the presidential campaign.
It was an aggressive and well-run campaign and we gave our opponents a very hard time indeed. It was also very expensive and we barely had the resources that we really needed but we did an effective job with the little we were given.
The whole nation, including our friends and our enemies, can bear witness to that and they saw the excellent quality of our work. Hardly anyone can dispute this yet some fail to appreciate the fact that such a strong showing costs a lot of money. Media and publicity campaigns cannot be run on goodwill alone: you need cash and plenty of it.
During the course of the election and after its conclusion I submitted detailed accounts of our expenses and evidence of our work to the Director of Finance of the PCO for onward transmission to the Director-General of the PCO and ultimately President Jonathan himself about how the money was spent and they were satisfied.
Given the fact that these were not public funds the only legal body that can inquire into our expenditure of campaign funds is President Goodluck Jonathan who set up the PCO.
I was commended for my efforts by him and I can proudly say that my Directorate did not owe any individual, service provider, organisation or media outfit that provided any services to us one kobo at the close of the campaign.
All our debts were paid and obligations met during and just after the election. The suggestion that there was any fraud in any of this or that I colluded and conspired with others to use government money to run a campaign is false and very insulting.
The suggestion that the money was some kind of "cash bonanza" or "bazaar" as has been reported by the leading pro-government newspaper in the country today is childish and absurd.
If that had been the case I doubt that I would have been foolish enough to open a bank account to receive government funds or "bazaar funds" as this would have been easily traced.
If I had anything to hide or if I was doing anything wrong I would have insisted on collecting cash for my operations which would have been far easier to conceal.
The fact that the EFCC gained access to my bank account and leaked details of it to the media including my inflows is not only a gross violation of my privacy but it is also unlawful.
I was a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ten years ago and I was a key official in the Presidency thirteen years ago. I had the honor and privilage of serving my country in these two capacities when the father of our nation, President Olusegun Obasanjo, was our President. Consequently I am familiar with the workings and importance of accountability, due diligence and due process.
This is why I was very careful with how we managed our resources at the Directorate and why I appointed a seasoned civil servant who retired from the civil service with commendation at the Director level as my Director of Finance in my Directorate.
I was also mindful of the fact that I had to be very careful with the management of funds that were put under my care given the fact that I had been wrongly accused and viciously persecuted by the Yar'adua administration and the Farida Waziri-led EFCC with trumped up and baseless criminal charges for the previous seven years.
That whole ordeal almost ruined my life and my career but God was with me throughout and He delivered me from their evil because I had done nothing wrong. On 1st July 2015 I was acquitted by a duly constituted court of law of all those charges and I give God the glory for that.
Yet the struggle continues. I am appalled at the behavior of the EFCC in this latest matter but I am not surprised because they have had it in for me for many years.
Their almost obsessive interest in me and their motivation to destroy me is essentially political and partly personal and this has always been so. In short, just as was the case seven years ago, they are being used by the powers that be and by forces that are far above them. To that extent I sympathise with them.
Yet if this is an attempt to intimidate, silence or distract me they shall fail because I am not a coward and I do not fear them or those that sent them to torment me.
And neither will I sit by idly and watch them trying to destroy me again. Their allegations are malicious and self-serving and there is no substance or truth in them. We did not run the Presidential Campaign Organization or my Directorate with paper or hot air: we ran them with money. There is no crime in that.
A substantial portion of that money was paid by my Directorate directly to the media for rallies, television, radio and newspaper adverts and jingles together with many other services rendered and we have all the records and documents to prove it. As stated earlier those records have been duly submitted to the relevant quarters and they commended us for our work.
I did not run the Directorate alone and I had at least 10 Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors and Sub-Directors, who were all also appointed by President Jonathan, working under me.
I was responsible for the funding of each and every one of their various operations. Our entire team was dedicated and we all worked very hard because we believed passionately in our candidate and our party.
I have yet to hear of any Presidential Campaign Organization anywhere in the world that was run without any money and that was funded with just goodwill.
I might add that we spent far less money than the APC and the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organization because they had access to massive amounts of state government funds and they used those funds effectively. For every million naira we spent they spent ten.
They even contracted the services of a famous American media consultant (the same one that President Obama used in 2008) and paid him ten million U.S. dollars for his counsel and advice. They had fleets of cars and buses whilst my Directorate was not even given one vehicle to get our people around.
The official jeep that was meant to have been given to us for our operations during the campaign was high jacked and it never arrived.
We were forced to use our own personal vehicles and we were glad to do so. Yet the other side had everything that money could buy. They even chartered numerous private jets throughout the campaign to get around the country. Where did they get all their funding from? Why is the EFCC not leaking stories or talking about that?
Instead of using the EFCC to try to rubbish me and my colleagues and smear our good names, those that are in power today should tell us where they got their campaign funds from and how much of it came from the Governments of Lagos and Rivers state.
The two people that headed those two state governments then are now both Federal Ministers today. One of them, who was the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, was specifically indicted by a Judicial Commission of Inquiry for using millions of dollars of state government funds to run the Buhari campaign yet nothing happened and his reward was to be appointed as a Minister.
Again what about the 5 billion naira cash that was flown down to Port Harcourt in Rivers state from Abuja in chartered plane a couple of days before the re-run election that took place on March 19th 2016. Where did they get that amount of cash from and what was its purpose and source?
What has the EFCC said or leaked about that? It appears that there is one law for those that are in power today and another for those that are not. Why persecute the innocent and leave the guilty? Was it a crime to fight and lose an election?
If Jonathan had not been a gentleman and if he had insisted on remaining in power at all costs or challenging the outcome of the election in court would we have the peace that we are enjoying in our country today?
Have those that are behind all this nonsense forgotten all that so soon or is it that they are just drunk with power and they are on a mission of revenge? If that is the case are they then worthy of the power that God has given them and should He not take it away from them before it is too late and they set the country on fire?
If there was any wrongdoing can the EFCC honestly put their hands on their chest and say that those of us that were asked to do a job and given money to do that job knew anything about it?
Were we the ones that sourced the funds and were we expected to launch our own private investigation into where the funds came from before accepting to receive and use them for the job we were asked to do?
In their heart of hearts they know that the answer to the two questions are both in the negative. Instead of going after the right people they wish to use the situation to embarrass and shame those of us that they see as the President's political enemies and critics just to further defame, malign and humiliate us and destroy our future and careers.
This is vindictive, petty and wicked and, as long as the Lord is on the throne, it will not stand. It is a very dangerous precedent and I sincerely hope that all stakeholders take note of the implications of what is brewing and going on.
It would be a very dangerous thing and utterly counter-productive for this government to open a can of worms and try to implicate innocent men and women who were simply doing their job and who knew nothing about any wrong-doing or illicit and illegal transactions or bank transfers of public funds from or to government accounts.
I wish to remind them that they will not be in power forever. Sooner or later the tables will turn and they themselves will be subjected to the malicious lies, false allegations, smear campaigns, injustice, brutality and persecution that they are presently subjecting others to. It is only a question of time.
Now let the Ancient of Days and He who never sleeps or slumbers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, judge between this government and all those innocent men and women that they are demonising and persecuting and that they seek to torment and destroy.
As long as Jesus is on the throne and our hands are clean, no matter how long it takes, we shall prevail and ultimately they will pay a heavy price for their malice, injustice and wickedness.
These are facts and readers can be rest assured that I will say nothing different to this if and when I am formally asked by anyone or any agency. When the EFCC begin to leak their falsehood and sallacious allegations to their agents in the media kindly take note of the fact that, as usual, they will be telling tall tales and they will be lying.
Now I challenge them to do their worse. I have no fear of them or of those who have sent them to do this dirty job. May God judge them all and may He reward them for their wickedness.

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