THE FACTS OUT ON GRAND CORRUPTION OF PAST PRESIDENCY ONLY A TIP OF THE ICEBERG
*(Statement attributable to the Vice Presidential Spokesperson)
WE have read reports attributed to “a media office of former President Goodluck Jonathan”. It is clear from the foul language of the authors that the statement could not have come from the former President, but from the motley group of loud and rude characters whose brief seems to be to deny all and anything said against the former PDP government and to do so in the crassest possible language.
The alleged spokespersons of the former President say that facts long in the public domain, some even being used to prosecute several corruption cases are lies and that those of us in government restating these well known facts are liars.
They accuse Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, of lying against the former President or his government citing their involvement in the stealing of three billion dollars, while speaking recently at The Platform event on the 1st of May.
Just for clarity, I quote the Vice President “Grand corruption remains the most enduring threat to our economy. Three Billion US dollars was stolen in what was called the strategic alliance contacts in 2013, three Nigerians were responsible, today three billion dollars is one trillion Naira and our budget is 7trillion! ….” ..( link)
Two issues emerge. First, no mention is made of the former President.
Second, the story is not only true, it has been in the public domain for almost three years and it is the subject of criminal investigation and trials both here and in the UK.
The spokespersons also say that the allegations of corruption against the PDP government are mere lies. For clarity, the facts are laid out as follows:
As the Vice President said, $3B was stolen in the so- called NNPC Strategic Alliance Contracts. The three persons involved are Jide Omokore, Kola Aluko and the former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison- Maduekwe. The companies of both Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko lifted Nigerian crude oil and kept the proceeds. The total sums converted is in excess of three billion dollars including royalties, taxes and fees unpaid for the asset from which the crude was taken. The case is the subject of a trial in Nigeria, and criminal investigation in the US and UK, and the assets of all three individuals have been forfeited in Nigeria, the US and the UK. The criminal diversion and theft of sums in excess of $2.5 billion meant for purchase of arms to prosecute the war against Boko Haram: The first phase of the investigations revealed several sordid details, many of the assets of culprits have been seized from them and they are facing trial. The release of the sum of $289m in cash on February 25, 2015: Documents including cash vouchers indicate that the the sum of $289,202,382 was taken from the Joint Venture (JV) Cash Call Account No. 000-0000-11658-366 of the NNPC/NAPIMS with JP Morgan Chase Bank, New York, USA. N70 billion was released in parts from the national treasury between January 8 and February 25, 2015. In another illegal disbursement, 25th August 2014, N60B in cash in tranches of N40billion and N20billion: The sum was not tied to any project or procurement and was then shared between two security agencies under the supervision of the then NSA. Most of these sums ended up in the hands of senior PDP members some of whom have returned parts of the loot. Some are standing trial for these offenses. These facts are in the public domain. There was yet another set of illegal fund withdrawals under one week between January 8and 16, 2015, where the sum of N1.5 billion was released in three tranches of N300m, N400m and N800m respectively. This money was released from the MEA Research Library Account . Another document showed that N10 billion was released to the Office of the National Security Adviser by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on September 15, 2014. The money was released in tranches of foreign exchange of $47 million, $5 million, 4 million Euros and 1.6 million Euros. A letter from the Office of the NSA in November 2014 further showed that the monies were released as ‘funds for special services’. This particular release of N10B was sourced in November 2014 from a N40 Billion CBN released funds meant for Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR. Investigators showed that this money was released for the PDP Presidential Primaries. Lamido Sanusi, then CBN Governor was sacked for speaking up about the over $20billion missing from oil proceeds. These cases of grand corruption and open looting of public resources pauperized Nigeria and left us with little or no savings in the years when oil was selling at 100 to 114 dollars a barrel and we were producing 2.1 million barrels a day. When in 2015 oil prices went even as low as between 28 and 35 dollars a barrel and oil production fell to less than one million barrels a day we had no buffer, no savings, to tide us through.
The amount released from CBN in cash on a single day, ie the US$289M ( N88.1Bn) is enough to fund 244,000 N-Power graduates for a year, or pay for 1.2Billion school meals or complete half of Lagos -Ibadan or half of Abuja -Kaduna -Kano roads.
The Vice President also made the point that in 2014 with oil prices as high as 120 dollars per barrel, the total capital released for Power, Works, Housing, Defence, Transport, Agriculture and Defence were just N152Billion for the whole year.
By contrast, the Buhari administration committed N578Bn to the same Ministries in 2016 with oil prices as low as US$28 per barrel as part of the strategy to end the recession. The government was able to do more with less by stopping grand corruption and impunity.
Recently, the Minister Coordinating the economy in that administration has written a revealing book : Fighting Corruption is Dangerous: The Story Behind the Headlines. Who knows, perhaps her stories too are all lies!
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
InansBobo: Here are some pictures of Nigerian Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo teaching English Language in a primary school. After the lesson he went on to have lunch together with the pupils. He on his facebook page, he said "After teaching, Naturally it is lunch time. The kids and I are eating lunch prepared by the NHGSFP cooks in Ondo. I must confess the meal is tasty"
Here are some pics and reactions
good one by the vp, its indeed a good move to we at the grassroot level
shallysgirl: Osibande is useless. I speak from the stand point of a Christian. Never seen him speak for Christians. Buhari lied for fulaniis killers in the US, and has protecting them but mere commissioner is just d mumu believer in power. He is of no effect. He must obey the masters.
Have u deputise in an organization b4? Do u know what it means to do that?
MR shaka momodu is just bluffing, the daniel of this administration is Osinbajo and he has been resilient when it comes to maintain a corruption free standard, just imagine this administration without Osinbajo, how will it be? be realistic and stop being a sycophant. God bless Osinbajo, God bless Nigeria.
There is an African proverb that says, the road construction engineer has finish his job, the talkative takes over. It is no news that interests in the rule of the game of politics and kulaks like shaka momodu is a tool in the hands of corrupt element trying hard to come back to power in Nigeria, but the people are wiser.
Today I read through his piece, I understand him to be a paid PDP apologist and writer whose activities are dictated by the blower of his piper, his seemingly substance less piece addressed to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is encapsulated in grudge, mindset and hatred.
Some people who cannot manage a home of five people successfully but they can point accusing fingers to a person who have served diligently in different organizations before becoming a national leader of the country, yet never relent, still hungry for success in all positive ways for the benefit of his people and to block all conduit pipes of treasury looters for the sake of country, citizens and the unborn generations. These among others make enemies of the state and people got mad.
According to Shaka Momodu the offence he picked against the Prof Yemi Osinbajo is based on what he called the principle of conspiracy between the Prof osinbajo and his principal President Muhammadu Buhari to address the incessant killing in Benue, Taraba and other affected states in the country, the unending boko harram insurgency, battle between the cattle herdsmen and the cattle rustler etc. I have realize that people don’t care if politician attack each other with untrue stories, they only think about their welfare forgetting that beyond politics, the Vice President and the president have their life to live.
My concern is not about the untrue stories and heresy composed in the essay but my concern is about how few supposed elites like shaka momodu has took it upon themselves to misinform the public about the good work, ground shaking infrastructure, national social intervention programmes that include a four cardinal point such as N-power, conditional cash transfer (CCT), Government Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Programmes, national home grown school feeding programmes. These programmes are targeted at the youths, women, artisan, craftsman and malnourished children.
WHO IS BIBLICAL DANIEL. In a haste to fulfill his obligation of writing to his paymaster’s fantasy, mr shaka couldn’t even explain to his readers who biblical Daniel was or maybe mr shaka readers are only Christians, a pointer to his religious bigotry that has held this country down for so long, or maybe shaka momodu himself does not know the biblical Daniel, an attempt to run from this demystification exposes the cluelessness of shaka character.
The Daniel in the bible is a distinguished administrator with exceptional qualities, at this, the administrators and the pundits of his time try to find grounds for charges in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “we will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God (Dan 6:3-5)
The verses highlights the outstanding character that the vice president Yemi Osinbajo represent in the Nigerian government; he is the hard-core and the heart beat of the current administration, free of corruption and other social vices, dedicated to economy growth and development. He is a man of good reputation in all criteria; he is brave and bold enough to called looters out publicly for the whole world to know the grave blunder and the atrocities they committed and gross fund mismanagement in the history of the country.
With all these fact seen, heard and rooted in the Bible, one knows that Osinbajo is a man of destiny child with sufficient grace of God.
The real fact of the matter that protest-preneur like shaka momodu will hide under their stingingly corrupt toga is that killings in Benue and some parts of the north predates the current administration, and the government of president muhamadu buhari has not relent in his fight against terrorism, so why continuous attack on the vice president? It takes a paid pdp apologist to descend so low into playing dirty with the name of a man so loved by all, but shaka reasons are not farfetched, his life depends on kickbacks from his paymasters who have sucked the country dry before this administration came for rescue mission in the face of corruption, maladministration, mismanagement and insecurity.
I wonder how on earth would a man whose voice only heard once in four years can come out publicly to criticize the man who has been the stability of the present administration and precise if he think attacking the government is the best way to be recognized, then he need a lot to learn. Everybody know the Vice-President Osinbajo has distinguished himself both in private life, professional calling and corridor of power, may his tribe and kind increase in our land. Amen.
Mr Reno i just hope this man knows hes only being childish, hows this news worthy, must you always prove your level of sycophancy? or must u talk always, abeg free us jhor
YouthsPC0: Reno Omokri wrote " Today, Garba Shehu said that President Muhammadu Buhari "is the first African head of government to visit the Trump White House".
Here is video of President Donald J. Trump receiving President Al-Sisi of Egypt on April 3, 2017 at The White House"
Why can’t the Buhari administration ever be honest? He asked
how dare me? have i ever lead b4? lol i was the president of Osun state student union while in school so i understand what it means to lead man, will u do anything behind your boss and go unpunished?
KINGEvidence: How dare you!talk to learned man like that, have you ever lead in your life and do you know what it takes to rule a country or deputise, let's be wise in our reasoning and contributions.. Be deliver..
and what will his speech change huh? will it change the fact that hes not the main man, or will that stop the killing? no lets be reasonable enough for crying out loud, osinbajo as of today has been the best vp Nigeria has had, not figure headed VP like Atiku and Sambo
slimghost: I never expected him to act on his own but speak against evil he MUST!. You can't be part of a Government that indirectly support wanton destruction of lives and properties of its citizens and expect good tidings. He is a man of God, let him speak against EVIL no matter the circumstances.
oh why get pissed off, its simple explanation now, Aisha is not proclaiming peace, she wants division because why will she advise the vp act on his own for heavens sake nah
slimghost: What has your Osibanjo done about the suffering in this country brought by this incompetent Government? As a man of God, has he spoken fiercely against the wanton loss of lives and properties in Benue? Has he spoken fiercely against all the corrupt acts perpetrated by this useless Government? Babachir lawal,Maina,Buratai,Adeosun e.t.c
Please don't piss me off. Like I wrote earlier, Yesufu should hold her peace because Nigerians don't deserve people Speaking up for them.
whats the obvious she stated, that osinbajo should act and stop giving nice speeches abi? if u are a leader and your vice is over shadowing how will u react, just smile abi, so u wanna support the division of this Nation abi? weldone sir, but please try use your church mind next time nah
slimghost: When people try to speak up for Nigerians, I laugh at them seriously because Nigerians do not deserve anything good in life.
Aisha Yesufu might have been a bit harsh in most of her criticisms but most things she said or complained about are facts.
Nigerians are really pathetic people. Both Buhari and Osibanjo are horrible disappointments and so no need attacking the lady for stating the obvious.
oh i see, so you want him to act out of the constitutional rule binding him and be accused of treason? hes a law abiding man even b4 coming to power so u wont expect that to change. Aisha and you sure did not really understand the law
Paperwhite: Of course the VP is a disappointment as being well educated & even a reknown legal icon,he was supposed to propel the president do what is right. However Osinbajo have simply reduced himself to a sai baba puppet.
Aisha Yesufu, though started her campaign well but at a point lost her intention when she started attacking the government, shes been a little Rash this days, the BBOG campaign needs to calm down, the government cannot rule and at the same time kill her own people, Aisha stop attacking the present administration.
Politics › Re: RE: Osinbajo Beneficiary Of Corruption by Thormiwah(m): 10:52am On May 07, 2018
