₦airaland Forum

Posted By: Yusuf Alli,


Former President Goodluck Jonathan is pitted in cold war with some of his ex-ministers who are on trial over the $2.1 billion arms scandal, N23.29 poll cash and other financial frauds.

Some of the ex-ministers are said to be angry with Jonathan for allegedly abandoning them after they were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They are also shocked that the ex-President neither assisted nor hired lawyers for them.

They want Jonathan to own up on the disbursement of the funds and open talks with his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari, on plea bargain.

But the ex-President is said to be shocked by revelations from the EFCC concerning some of the ex-ministers.

It was learnt that Jonathan wants the ongoing investigation and trial to run its full course.

An investigation conducted by our correspondent indicated that all is not well between Jonathan and his ex-ministers.

The cold war has worsened to the point that when Jonathan met some of the former ministers, he did not ask them why they were arrested or treated the way the EFCC has done.

One of the ex-ministers was said to be close to tears when Jonathan exchanged pleasantries with him without a mention of his ordeal in EFCC’s custody.

The overwhelmed ex-minister had always claimed that he “ran errands for Jonathan on the slush funds traced to him.”

A reliable source said: “Our camp has broken into two. The ex-President is on one side and the embattled ex-ministers is on the other.

“The cold war is a result of the ongoing arrest and trial of some former ministers and aides of Jonathan.

“Some of the ex-ministers and aides are angry that Jonathan was not owning up or rising in their defence over the allegations levelled against them.

“Some of them are feeling bad that Jonathan has neither hired lawyers to defend them nor met with President Muhammadu Buhari for plea bargain on some cases.

“A few others accuse him of not taking care of their families while they were in detention.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “I remember during one of our meetings, Governor Nyesom Wike spoke with anger on how some of us also betrayed Jonathan.

“The situation has degenerated to the extent that most of the former PDP governors do not visit Jonathan anymore.”

A former minister, who spoke in confidence, said some of the embattled ministers were being unrealistic.

The source said: “These ex-ministers cannot blame Jonathan for their travails at all.

“The ex-President was just hearing of some of these huge sums for the first time. Some of these funds were released under the guise of security votes without his approval.

He has been devastated on the allegations against some ex-ministers.

“In some cases, withdrawals and disbursements from the treasury exceeded his approval.
“It will be extremely difficult for the ex-President to own up to everything.

“Even some ex-ministers from the North were alleged to have diverted some of these funds to either personal use or to mobilize their supporters against Jonathan during the 2015 poll.”

On legal representation, the source added: “At a point, Jonathan assembled a team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) to defend some of these ex-ministers and aides, but the legal team presented a bill running into billions of naira, which he said he could not afford. He had to abandon the plan.

“We have asked our colleagues to be considerate too. Jonathan is having his own share of the probe. Apart from his wife being investigated, his cousin and some of his associates are also on trial. This is enough an emotional burden to him.

“Despite the tightening of investigation noose around him, Jonathan came out recently to raise issues on the trial of Dasuki for the $2.1 billion arms scandal.

Some of the ex-ministers and aides under investigation are ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki; Nurudeen Mohammed; Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro; Bashir Yuguda; former Minister of Power, Mohammed Wakil; Bala Mohammed; Diezani Alison-Madueke; Oloye Jumoke Akinjide; Prof. Viola Onwuliri; ex-Minister Nenadi Usman; ex-Minister Senator Joel Ikenya; Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; Dr. Doyin Okupe; Dr. Reuben Abati; High Chief Raymond Dokpesi; Olisa Metuh and members of the Goodluck Support Group.

The anti-graft agency has also grilled a former Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau; a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Aminu Wali; former Minister of Mines and Steel, Arch. Musa Muhammad Sada; and a former Minister of State for Agriculture, Asabe Asmau Ahmed.

Meanwhile, a former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, is in fresh trouble over alleged N4.7 billion allocated to him through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the Presidency.

The funds include N3.5 billion for Operation Capture Lagos and N1.2 billion reimbursement expenses after stepping down for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, during the 2015 general election.

A reliable source said: “The former Minister is under fresh probe on some cash advanced to him personally by ONSA and the presidency for the 2015 poll.

“These funds include alleged N3.5 billion for Operation Capture Lagos and a personal loss reimbursement of N1.2 billion.

“After Agbaje became the governorship candidate, Obanikoro was not only returned as a minister, his expenses during primaries, amounting to about N1.2 billion, were refunded to him.

“He personally submitted the bill and he was reimbursed by the presidency. All the key actors who knew about the reimbursement are still alive.

“We are investigating him on this N4.7 billion. If he has no case to answer on poll funds, we will leave him. But if there is a prima facie case, he will face a separate trial.”

In an earlier case, about N4.685 billon was allegedly transferred by the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) to Sylvan McNamara Limited, a company linked with a former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro.

Out of the sum, about N3.880 billion was allegedly transferred to both Governor Ayodele Fayose and Senator Iyiola Omisore through cash and bank transfers by Obanikoro.

The former minister was asked by the EFCC to account for the balance, which the ex-Minister claimed was spent on a campaign against Boko Haram in the South-West.

After weeks in detention, Obanikoro refunded N100.4 million to the EFCC with an undertaking for the return of about N480 million.

Homeboiy:
If Jonathan try nonsense Efcc will lock him up for one yr

Evablizin:
lols i wish it's possible EFCC and Jona are birds of the same feathers,kriminals fighting kriminals

Homeboiy:
but jona na smart criminal oo

if no be say e don already better for him, I for talk say e no go better for him

Homeboiy:
If Jonathan try nonsense Efcc will lock him up for one yr

Pavarottii:
All this recycled news. My dear is too late. GEJ is like a God everyone worships in PDP. He more or less has d final say as it stands now. And 80% of its members stand behind him, any day , any time and any where. Who God has blessed . No man can curse.

Point of correction. EFCC has not probed any minister or has a case in court with any of JOnathan's minister concerning their ministries. If they please tell me which case, ministry and minister.

madenigga:
Over the years since i was born and brought up in Nigeria we were always told that Nigeria belongs to us all, and it is our work as citizens of this country to ensure we move our nation forward no matter the odds or challanges we go through. We have gone through a civil war, various military coups, various political uprisings etc. But Nigeria remained.

Nigeria came up with federal character and quota system a term orchestrated by the north for there sole benefit. Back then you werent surprise to go to the highest agencies in Nigeria and see a northerner who cant read or speak english controlling the place, why federal character. It happens from our government organisations down to our schools where cut of mark vary by state of origin and the north having the lowest cut of mark. You see a situation where some states in the south have as high as 140 marks while some states in the north have as low as 2 marks. Thats the highest level of injustice, but we kept quiet.

Go to the Nigerian army and police force, airforce, navy, dss, here the north has an unusually high slot especailly the army and the dss, the north beats the entire south 4 to 1, that apart in promotion you see nepotism based promotions. Yet we kept quiet.

You are a graduate who went to a university cane out with a good result 4.1 or above. Then you meet a northerner that came out with third class, even from school deep down you have started begging him to connect you cause you know northerners dont find it difficult to get jobs, if they just go to school and graduate even if its with the lowest grade. You would be surprised you are still carrying file from office to office looking for job, praying every day for favour, but his own its just one single phone call.
Hello; alhaji kai i don grauduate. Immdiately he has a job. Next thing even if you get the job by Gods grace you get put under him. Nigerians is that good.

Ask yourself the recent trend this days almost all Nigerian youths want to leave the country, the country is not favouring us, we go to a far away land and start working as slaves just to survive. So much that some of our youths go into illegal business, drug trafficking, fraud, prostitution, etc. But the Northerners how many times have you seen them hustling to go to canada or u.k in search of work or greener pastures. The ones that are educated have good jobs, the ones that are not educated some how slots in army, airforce, etc would take them in somehow. Why border going to canada to suffer. If you ever see them abroad its for holidays with there families or government sent them there or education and nothing more.

Its even becoming to get more glaring asif they are rubbimg it on our face. Fulani herdsmen attack people anyhow and army is nowhere to be found despite the outcry all over the media. Touch or even think of touching them and your community would be filled with every kind of force, army, sss, dss, sars, police, etc.
They have killed people, raped people, invaded villages yet nothing is wrong Nigerians still endure. NOBODY has called for there genocide all over Nigeria or there expulsion.
During Jonathans tenure no kind of insults that not just him but his family didnt receive yet nobody was arrested. The north even brought out an illegal radio station which talked trash about Jonathan, yet nobody was arrested.

You all rememember ile ife crisis that happened in the west, a crisis causes by the northerners who boldly attacked there hosts and was met with stiff retaliation, do you know the momenet police and the army came, yoruba youths were arrested in there numbers but no single northerner was arrested.

Now come down to the main issue Nnamdi kanu talked trash about Nigeria and other Nigerians he was arrested, disgraced, his passport siezed, his monies in the bank seized kept in jail for over 1 and a half year and given a temporary bail out which costs over 100million naira. Yet he never killed anybody.

Arewa youths came out on national

kuuljay:
The picture below better describes buharis efcc and Gej,and bros j is not that dumb,he ain't saying no sh!t! At list not when bubu is still alive

Homeboiy:
but jona na smart criminal oo

if no be say e don already better for him, I for talk say e no go better for him

nextprince:
They shouldn't bother, potor Ps and Is are with them.

Potor Ps can never abandon thieves.

By default, all yam eaters are heros of potor Ps.

dre11:
http://thenationonlineng.net/ex-ministers-angry-with-jonathan-for-abandoning-them-with-efcc/