I observed this time that the perpetrators of injustice did not mention the famous missing $100 million said to be given to Capt. Joji which could not be accounted for, rather they came up with a trumped-up figure of US$93 million which is $7 million short of US$100 million they claimed was stolen money. Is it that the perpetrators have lost their sense of arithmetic?

Accusation No. 1:
The sum of N2.0m unlawfully approved by Captain Mohammed Joji as impress account for Miss G.N. Hembah be recovered from him.

Response No. 1:
At the 13th Ordinary Board Meeting of the Nigeria Airways, held on 25th February, 1993, para. 21, the following directive was given: I quote:-

"The Start-Team for Air Nigeria was already in Lagos working", adding that Nigeria Airways (WT) would cater for the initial reimbursement take-off expenditure of Air Nigeria which should be properly documented for refund by the Technical Committee on Privatization and Commercialization (TCPC)

The above document was submitted to the panel.
I was removed as the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Nigeria Airways before the reconciliation was carried out.

However, when Professor Aluko Committee investigated Yisa Doko panel, it was confirmed that the N2m impress or I.O.U. formed part of the N14,528,889.19 expenses incurred as at 30th April, 1994 by Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) on behalf of Air Nigeria. The panel ought to have resolved this simple matter.

The picture, which the perpetrators are trying to paint here, is that - Joji is person of loose morals just like their next-door neighbours who cannot distinguish between responsibility and personal lust. They always see themselves in other people.

Accusation No. 2:
For the very bad management decision which resulted in the loss of N40m of NAL Fund, it is considered view of the Commission that Captain Mohammed Joji and NAL's Director of Finance, Mr. Afam Nwagboso should refund to NAL, the sum of N40m which they lost to CMB, since no reasonable management who had the Interest of NAL in mind would have used CMB as the collection bank when financial institutions such as First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc were available with better and more wide spread branch networks nationwide additional to their being very well established financial institutions.

Response No. 2:
At the 9th Ordinary Board Meeting of the Nigeria Airways on 24th February, 1992; under item 9: Sales Proceeds Collection (SPC) service, two banks applied for the service;
- Continental Merchant Bank (CMB)
- Nigeria International Bank (NIB)

Decision:
Para, 47 : The Board approved the appointment of Continental Merchant Bank (CMB) for the collection of the Sales Proceeds Collection (SPC) Service to the airline. The said document was submitted to the panel.

Comment:
CMB was 100% owned by Government and was a well-established bank and was solvent, the risk of losing Nigeria Airways money could never have arisen. Nigeria Airways was also 100% owned by government. Whoever the CMB used to collect on her behalf did not affect the instant credit on our accounts in Lagos. Nigeria Airways could collect any amount at any time relative to what was collected. Furthermore, CMB provided NAL a monthly foreign exchange facility of $250,000.00 for the purchase of spare parts.

At the time of termination of my appointment on 27th August, 1993, CMB was a well established bank and was never liquidated. Furthermore, NAL money was not lost in the Bank when I left the services of NAL. I believe the Director of Finance -Mr. Afam Nwagboso has justified to various panels that there was no money missing in CMS that belongs to Nigeria Airways.

What else expected from a reasonable management than this? The panel seemed to be standing on its head. If the so called N40m had been lodged in a private account or an account other than the one approved by the Board of Directors, it is then an eye brow could be raised and whoever was involved be dealt with accordingly.

In fact, I do not even know how the N40m came about. The bank was collecting our money for over a year. The cumulative of these sales proceeds runs into hundreds of millions of Naira. To come up with a cooked-up figure of N40m is something else.

The background to this was that, previously, Managers at various airports made sales, spent as much as they could and sent the balance to the headquarters. This new noble idea put an end to their racketeering. Many toes no doubt were stepped on hence all these smear campaigns.

Accusation No. 3:
Captain Mohammed Joji should give full account of his disbursement of the sum of $12m paid to NAL as royalty by Swiss Air.

Response No. 3:
At the 13th Ordinary Board Meeting of the Nigeria Airways on 25th February, 1993. Item 5, title update on privatisation of Air Nigeria and proposal for the Commercialisation of Nigeria Airways; I Quote:

"In addition, Swiss Air has agreed to provide an advance royalty of $12 million for four protective frequencies into Lagos for the next 3 years. This was to assist Air Nigeria with a working capital for the initial operating cost". The said document was submitted to the panel.

Chief O. Kuye, the Chairman TCPC Sub-Committee on Air Nigeria confirmed in his submission to the Judicial Panel of Inquiry that these monies belonged to TCPC under the protective custody of Swiss Air and was never in the accounts of Nigeria Airways.

Any approval to utilise the money to rescue Nigeria Airways was given by the TCPC through the Start Team to Swiss Air for the necessary disbursement. Documentary evidence was given to this effect.

Why should the white paper then call on Capt. Joji to give full account of this money? Is this not the responsibility of the panel to follow this up to its logical conclusion, rather than arriving at this hasty conclusion thereby leaving it open ended?

Accusation No 4:
Captain Joji should refund to NAL the sum of $9.8m which he allegedly paid to Sabena as the Commission has no proof that such payment was in fact made by him

Response No. 4
At the 8th Ordinary Board Meeting of the Nigeria Airways held on 27th January 1992, under "Engineering and Maintenance; para. 34, the management submitted to the Board spare parts that were held by Sabena and the exposure the airline suffers as a result. The said document have been submitted to the panel.

The Board set up several sub-committees for the verification of NAL indebtedness. Correspondingly, the Chairman Sub-Committee TCPC Chief Kuye has gone one step further to appoint Local and European Consulting firms to verify the NAL debt prior to absorbing the indebtedness of Nigeria Airways before privatisation. The TCPC Sub-Committee Chairman main area of concern was the overseas creditors.

The following management Sub-Committee's were set up for the verification of Sabena accounts.

Meeting of 16/17/18 of March 1992 held in Brussels;
Net balance in favour of Sabena was $13,129,781.39
Work in progress $6,240,625.
The total indebtedness stood at $19,370,406

Nigeria Airways continue to make progress payment towards liquidating the amount.

2. Meeting held at Sabena on April 27, 1992. The estimated balance was $15,880,808.70. After adjustments of further invoices this was discovered to be $25,525,051. Sabena was asked to provide proof of the substantial increase of the original amount.

3. Meeting held at Sabena on 6th May, 1992. The Air Nigeria Consultants (Allan Gedes) held meeting with Sabena as an independent observer and issued the following brief:

That Sabena finally presented a detailed list of invoices, which substantiated their claim that the total amount owed by NAL is $25.5 million.

The invoices were given by the Consultants to Mr. Sobodo (in charge of inter-line account) of Nigeria Airways asking him to check with the engineering department who are the end users to confirm the invoices.

The invoice clearing section of the Nigeria Airways Engineering Department Was a 'blackhole’ for un-reconciled invoices.

Time-after-time, their reconciliation is grossly in arrears.

While the maintenance contractor was giving one figure, the account department of the Nigeria Airways was showing another figure. The difficulty is always the Invoice Clearing Section of the Engineering Department. At one time, I have to appoint one of the Consultants - Mr. Allan Geddes an Accountant by profession to oversee these lapses. He discovered that literally half of the invoices were dumped into a corner un-reconciled.

4. On 24th September, 1992 Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Chief Executive of Sabena Mr. P. Godfroid and Capt. M. Joji MD/CE of Nigeria Airways for the liquidation of the outstanding debt of $27,151,869.48. The increase was due to additional work in progress at the Sabena facility, which included 12 jet engines sent to Sabena before my tenure of office.

5. Statement of Account as at 8th June 1993 shows balance due to Sabena as $16,545,462.09.

As part of the memorandum to the 13th Ordinary Board Meeting of the Nigeria Airways on 25th February, 1993, payment to Sabena from the Federal Government loan of $64.3 million was as follows:-
26/11/92 - $7,067,515.68 - for aircraft maintenance
17/12/92 - $1,300,000.00 - for engine purchase
31/12/92 - $4,100,000.00 – for aircraft maintenance
Total payments from the above allocation was $12,467,515.68. Incidentally, these monies were paid by the Central Bank of Nigeria direct to Sabena with the appropriate 'Form A' raised by the Ministry of Finance.

All of the above mentioned documents were presented to the panel as Exhibits.

For the draft white paper to say that the sum of $9.8 million paid to Sabena was a commission and has no proof of payment is a gross misrepresentation of fact.

The word 'commission' was deliberately inserted to create an impression that corruption has taken place. This choice of word was not only mischievous but also inappropriate.

Accusation No. 5:
That Captain Mohammed Joji should refund to NAL the sum of $4,531,358.50 being the cost of 'D' Check on the B737 aircraft which was carried out by NAL in Nigeria which the airline paid for in Brazil.

Response No. 5
At the 14th Ordinary Board Meeting of the Nigeria Airways, held on 20th April, 1993, minutes of the Technical Committee held on 11th March, 1993 was presented to the Board of the Nigeria Airways.

The Director of Engineering – Engr. Ayo Lawal and myself were members of the sub-committee. The Secretary to the Committee was Mr. Akiniayejo - Manager, Maintenance Contract of the Nigeria Airways Engineering Department.

Under Aircraft major Checks, Aircraft B737 (5N-ANY) Check ‘D’
Two company's responded to our request for proposal (RFP)
(a) Varig – Brazil
- Has thoroughly inspected the aircraft
- Produced comprehensive listing of missing parts/items; Number about 295
- Produced list of minimal required items necessary to make the aircraft ferry-able (fly to Brazil) and ready to provide the short fall on NAL items available.
- Lower labour rate amounting to $35/man hour
- A credit memorandum, which will lower considerably the net payable for the ‘D’ Check.

This procedure is often followed at the completion of the Check and during reconciliation of account. In most cases the airline always earn same discount.
(b) Team Aer Lingus - Dublin Ireland
- Has not carried out any thorough investigation on the aircraft but only relied upon its previous knowledge of the fleet.
- Unfavourable high labour charge averaging £53/man hour. This is equivalent to $80/man hour.
- Expected higher net charge

Aer Lingus was the traditional Nigeria Airways maintenance contractor for over 30 years who are always complacent and taking things for granted.

The appointment of Varig to carry out the ‘D’ Check on 5N-ANY in Brazil was approved. This document has been submitted to the panel.

The Check was successfully carried out at a cost of $4,708,178. Only $1,133,110 was on labour, the balance was spares. Before final reconciliation was carried out I was removed as the MD/CE of NAL. I handed over the reconciliation and the request of any credit to my Successor.

The Audit Team, Airclaims, the London Loss Adjusters appointed by Chief Kuye, the Chairman Sub-Committee on Air Nigeria for debt verification and possible absorption of the debt by the Technical Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation (TCPC) prior to privatisation, conducted technical audit of Aer Lingus and other maintenance contractors.

In their two volumes report of July 19, 1993 submitted to the Chairman, they remarked that Aer Lingua, the maintenance contractor for the Nigeria Airways have not been fair to the airline over the years.

They cited B737 Reg. 5N-ANC whose maintenance was before my tenure of office. The airline was charged a staggering amount of $9 million for ‘D’ Check, and the man hour spent on the aircraft was similar to the hours spent on a jumbo jet B747. This was in contrast to the B737 sent to Brazil during my tenure which total cost was less than 50% of the amount charged by Aer Lingus.

They also indicted Aer Lingus for over charging NAL on an engine overhaul. They charged $1,25m instead of rendering the engine beyond economic repair (BER). The Brazilians did a similar engine overhaul for Nigeria Airways for only $200,000.00.

I read with sadness in the print media the purported release of Draft White Paper on the Justice Obiora Nwazota Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Nigeria Airways Initially, I was very comfortable and confident that the Judicial Panel led by the renowned Retired High Court Judge - Justice Obiora Nwazota did a very good job given the fact that all the proceedings were recorded even on tape. I was sure that the report and findings of the panel would reflect the recordings on tape and the several volumes of documents submitted to the panel. I also had no doubt in my mind that the White Paper would be based on the findings of the Panel. I was wrong and naive by underestimating the destructive effect of some of my fellow Nigerians who lack credibility and moral scruples and are hell bent on dragging every decent citizen to their sinking level.

The timing of the illegal release of the draft white paper on a weekend and during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was unfortunate; but may well have been deliberate.

This distortion severely affected some of us especially my humble self who lives and works in the United Kingdom and had had links with the United Kingdom for the past 32 years.

I was on April 15th 1994 bestowed with the honour of the Freeman of the City of London, being the 43rd year of the reign of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II at the Fates Hail of the Lord Mayors of London for services rendered to aviation industry.

The Queen, the Prime Minister of England and the British High Commissioner to Nigeria were all in the country when this unfortunate event took place. Could it not also be politically motivated?

Remember the saying of Edmond Bond "What the Goodmen do among the wicked ones is that they continue to do good" Above all “ALLAH” knows the best.

I know the general public has been waiting for my response.
The essence of a White Paper by a Commission is for the Government to find a basis for calling on a person indicted by a Commission or Panel or Tribunal to explain himself. The Commission is an organ of the Executive because it is usually set up by the President. It is not a Court. Its findings are not therefore final or conclusive. The Chairman of the Nwazota panel repeatedly mentioned during the proceedings that its work was fact finding. It repeatedly stated that nobody was standing trial or accused. Therefore, I believe that the findings of the panel are first and foremost to provide a basis for the government to issue a white paper representing its views on the findings/recommendations.

Upon a recommendation the government can now confront any person mentioned in the report with the facts to explain himself. It is at this point that there can be said to be dispute where the person disputes the report.

What is called for then is for either the government to go to court to present its recommendations as in the white paper to press a case against the person indicted or for the person to go to court to make his defence. This is the essence to the right to a fair. Hearing in the determination of the civil rights and obligations by or against the government.

This is where the perpetrators of the publication of a draft white paper ought to have their Main Report P.104 allowed government to take its time to consider the panel's reports/recommendations. The perpetrators have not done the government and the people of this country any good by desperately penetrating the government and going to the public with an un-completed report. I should think that the government should set up a probe to investigate this dangerous trend and bring to book the perpetrators of the publication of the draft white paper on the NAL.

The publication is dangerous because it undermines government procedure it is inciting and capable of placing government in a position of incapability to really come out "From documents available to the Aluko Committee, only one of the interviews with the truth of the matter.

The perpetrators have also painted everybody black with the same brush. In so doing, Capt. Joji was accused was raised. Government can even lose a genuine case against some of the indicted persons.

If this illegal publication was done against some top government functionaries, I believe the government would have issued a refutal and ordered the arrest of the involved.

Are there no more official secrets in government? What has happened to the Official Secrets Act, which has not been repealed?
Notwithstanding my opening remarks, since we are now before the court of public opinion and since the government did not find it ethical to issue a public refutal and call these perpetrators to order, be it as it may, I will now go to the same Court of Public Opinion to present my case once more by responding to all the purported allegations levelled against me.

Before I do that, three other issues came to light, which further compel me to go public.

One; that the publication has the legitimacy of General T.Y. Danjuma Ministerial Review Panel. We now know that it is a defamation on the character of the General, since we believe such Committee never sat.

Two; I and other Chief Executives of NAL contacted the Federal Ministry of Aviation regarding the release of the draft white paper, they only stated that they have nothing to do with the release.

Three; The Newswatch Magazine has filed this lies, innuendoes and shenanigans before the Kaduna High Court on 10th December, 2001-Mainst a suit No. KDI-VKAD/521/95: Joji Vs Newswatch Magazine for their illegal publication on August 22, 1994 of the purported release of Visa Doko Probe Panel. In which I am claiming damages for N50 million.

Today, it is on record that I am the only human being in Nigeria that has appeared before five different panels on the same subject. viz:

1. The Visa Doko Panel of Inquiry of March. 1994.
2. The Professor Sam Aluko led review panel of the Yisa Doko Panel of November/December 1994.
3. The Admiral Porbeni led White Paper panel of 19th December. 1994 sitting in Calabar.
4. The Air Cmdr. Jang Panel of September 1999 instituted by the then Minister of Aviation - Olusegun Agagu
5. The Justice Obiora Nwazota Judicial Commission of Inquiry in October, 2000

I will now attempt to show the general public how some restless minds who feel they have a score to settle with me due to my sincere dispositions to issues of public importance, have penetrated to all the findings of almost all the probe panels except a few to make sure Joji is declared guilty at all cost.

1. THE VISA DOKO PANEL OF INQUIRY
The Newswatch Magazine publication of 22nd August, 1994 claimed to reveal the findings of the probe panel by publishing a 26 count indictment against me which claims were neither communicated to me nor officially released. I protested to the then Head of Slate - General Sani Abacha on 22nd September, 1994.
The then Head of State set up a panel to review not only the Nigeria Airways but also the CBN and Nitel probe panels conclusion.
The Professor Aluko National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC), were charged with the review.

2. THE PROFESSOR ALUKO (NATIONAL ECONOMIC INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE (NEIC)
When I appeared before the Professor Aluko panel, it was horrifying to see the total distortion discovered by the Atuko Committee on the Yisa Doko panel just to nail me at all cost

The Aluko Committee discovered that virtually all those that were invited and indicted for one offence or another were without exception not questioned on issue for which they were subsequently indicted. The Aluko committee submitted the following example;

My former Director of Finance, Mr. Afam Nwagboso was-satcrio-be-found guilty of co-operating with Capt. Joji to defraud the airline millions of Naira (Visa Doko Main Report P.70). Mr. Nwagboso was further interviewed twice (Yisa Doko Main Report PP.55 and 61-63). The Aluko Committee concluded that in both inter-views there was no discussion of Mr. Nwagboso's collaboration with Capt. Joe.

On the N2 million I.O.U. received by Miss 0. Hembah, the Admin. Manager of the Nigeria Airways, the Yisa Doko panel recommended that the amount should be recovered from Capt. M Joji and Miss G. Hembah. This was contained in their Main Report P.104.

The Aluko Committee discovered that when Miss G. Hembah was interviewed by the Yisa Doko panel which was recorded on P.57 of their Main Report, there was no evidence that the issue of the N2 million was raised with Miss fiembah.

The Yisa Doko panel indicated that Capt. Joji was interviewed three times (see Methodology P 7 Executive Summary items (v), (viii), (ix).

From documents available to the Aluko Committee, only one of the interviews was reported (as indicated in the Yisa Doko Main Report PP.176-180). The Aluko Committee further concluded that in this interview not a single issue over which Capt. Joy was accused was raised.

The Aluko Committee noted that of the 70 memoranda received from staff and public, none appeared to have been received from Capt. Joji (Report Vol. III. PP 1-6). The Aluko Committee noted that not all persons said to have been inter-viewed appeared to have been so interviewed.

I, Captain Joji confirmed to the Aluko Committee that I had submitted to the Yisa Doko panel the following documents:
- 16 Annexures
- 17 Enclosures
- 3 Exhibits
- 5 Addendum

A total of 41 documents. None of these documents were produced to the Aluko Committee by the Yisa Doko panel.

The Aluko Committee took steps to call the Secretary to the Yisa Doko Panel-Dr. J.A. Mamza to submit all of the above documents. One of the Secretary's comments was that the documents have been shredded. Up to the time of winding the Committee, they did not receive any single document from the Secretary to the Visa Doko Panel.

The Aluko Committee took further steps to interview all the key staff of Nigeria Airways.

The Aluko Committee in their Report further submitted as follows:-
It is unpardonable bias to the panel of the Yisa Doko panel to accept an accusation as a finding without due consideration/assessment of the reply from the person so accused".

"That the question of N2m I.O.U between Miss Hembah and Nigeria Airways was not between Miss Hembah and Nigeria Airways but between Nigeria Airways and Air Nigeria".

The N2 million I.O.U. is also part of the N14,528,889.19 expenditure incurred as at 30th April, 1994. by Nigeria Airways on behalf of Air Nigeria. The panel if not for bias and ulterior motive should have resolved this simple matter.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the Aluko Committee (NEIC) expressed concern that an exercise of this magnitude with serious implications not only for the national economy, but also for her image can be treated with such levity by the Panel. From the point of view of this Committee, the Yisa-Doko Panel on Nigeria Airways Limited is a waste of public funds. The NEIC recommends that Government formally reject the Panel's work for its shoddiness.

It is an irony that neither the Professor Aluko Committee Report nor the Admiral Porbeni White Paper were leaked to the public or officially published by the Federal Government.

Based on the Visa Doko probe panel report and that of the Professor Sam Aluko led National Economic Intelligence Committee, the Federal Government constituted the Admiral Porbeni led White Paper Dialling Committee on Nigeria Airways in Decem-ber 1994.

3. THE ADMIRAL PORBENT WHITE PAPER SITTING IN CALABAR IN DEC. 1994
It was natural to co-opt one person from the probe panel to guide the White Paper Commission.

One Mr. Segun Onayemi, an Accountant by profession was co-opted from the Yisa Doko panel to give guidance to the Porbeni White Paper Panel.

When I appeared before the panel on the 19th and 20th of December, 1994, I was asked if I submitted any document, I said did submit 41 volumes of different documents". A member of the panel (a Military Officer turned his attention to Mr. Onayemi and asked, "you did tell this panel that there was no document you can assist the white paper panel with". Mr. Onayemi replied that: the document sub-mitted was their personal property. The Military Officer was so furious at Mr. Onayemi and hurled abuses at him for wasting the panel's time instead of guiding them.

The Standing Chairman of the panel had to excuse me to the other room for them to sort out the problems.

When I was later called in, I was politely requested by the white paper panel to assist them by submitting all the said documents they refused to release to them.

During my next appearance, all the complete set of the documents were formally submitted to the Porbeni White Paper panel.

The conclusion of the White Paper was never made public.

In September 1999, four years later, another Panel of Inquiry was set up by the then Minister of Aviation - Olusegun Agagu with Air Commodore Jang as its Chairman.

4. THE AIR COMMODORE JANG PANEL
The perpetrators of injustice, having not been satisfied that the Aluko Committee and possibly the Porbeni White Paper cleared me of their trump-up charges, had to wait for four years and took advantage of the new civilian administration to constitute yet another "Kangaroo Panel" just to embarrass themselves.

The then Minister of Aviation, Olusegun Agagu without reference to the Aluko Committee and that of the Porbeni White Paper set up the Air Commodore Jang panel in September 1999.

However, knowing full well that such a panel was a waste of time and tax-payers money as well as my resources, I still appeared before them in October. 1999.

The outcome of the panel report was a photocopy of the Yisa Doko panel report of 1994 because during the Chairman's press conference, he made reference to the Yisa Doko panel without reference to Professor Aiuko and Admiral Porbeni white paper.

The anti climax of this Panel Report was that in submitting its reports to Mr. President, the Chairman called a press conference and addressed them on Thursday 30th December, 1999 in the presence of Mr. President, the Vice President, some members of the Senate and members of the House of Representative. In effect, it was the press that released the entire report and the purported charges. Those indicted were never presented with the crime with which they were committed.

I protested and called for the Judicial Panel of Inquiry.

5. THE JUSTICE OBIORA NWAZOTA JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY AND THE PURPORTED RELEASE OF THE WHITE PAPER OF THE REPORT
I appeared before the Commission as Witness No. 67 and gave evidence from 9th - October, 2000 to 7th December, 2000:- on 9/10/2090; 10/10/2000; 31/10/2000; 1/11/2000 and 7/12/2000 respectively also tendered 69 various volumes of documents variously marked EF79 to FE89; Exhibits FF I to FF28, FF44 to FF66 and Exhibits GG20 to GG33. These exhibits have riot just been made; rather they have always been there as records of official dealing. They, therefore, form the primary source of information on the transaction to which they relate.

The picture that was sold to the general public was that Capt. Joji was working as a Sole Administrator without a Board.

In fact, I was working with two different sets of Boards;
- One was for Nigeria Airways under the Chairmanship of Prince Tony Mo-moh;
- Second was for Air Nigeria whose Sub-Committee Chairman was Chief Omowole Kuye.

Both Chairmen were renowned lawyers of repute and transparent people who have never been found wanting throughout their career in the Public Service. They are the last group of people that will condone any corrupt practices.

Both of the Chairmen gave both written and oral submissions to the panels, but none of their. submissions were reflected in the commission's white paper final Reports, showing dearly that these panels were chiefly constituted to witch-hunt innocent citizens and deceive the general public including the government that set them.

The purported draft white paper cited the following as my corporate sins.