EFCC to Summon Okonjo-Iweala
Category: Nigerian National News
There were strong indications on Thursday that the EFCC
might invite the former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in
connection with its ongoing investigation into the procurement of arms
under the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
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A source in the commission on Thursday said the commission was
also looking into the role of the Central Bank of Nigeria in the
release of the funds to the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo
Dasuki (retd.), and others being probed as a result of the arms deal.
A top operative of the EFCC, who confided in one of our
correspondents, said the commission had been working very hard to
identify those who received funds from the ONSA because they could not
lay their hands on documented evidence in the office.
It was learnt that the invitation, which might be sent to the
former minister within a week, was not an indictment, but a move by the
commission to get to the root of the arms deal.
Findings showed that Okonjo-Iweala would assist the EFCC in its ongoing investigation into the arms deal.
It was gathered that the 27-man Task Force, set up by the
Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, had been working on
evidence of funds released from the CBN to arrest those who were in the
custody of the anti-graft agency.
The source added that while it was true that part of the
recovered Abacha loot was spent on the campaign against insurgency at
the time, the commission was of the view that not all the money was
spent for that purpose.
The source explained for instance that the funds were spent on
the procurement of arms for troops and the payment of the South African
mercenaries, who trained a Strike Force and supplied intelligence to
the military in the recovery of 22 local government areas from Boko
Haram shortly before the general elections.
A former Commander of the South African Defence Force, Col. Eeben Barlow, had told the UKTelegraph,
that his outfit, known as the Special Tasks Training, Equipment and
Protection, trained an elite strike force in Nigeria to aid the campaign
against insurgency.
Barlow was silent on the amount of money involved in the deal.
The source said, “You see these things are not as easy as you
think. The Office of the NSA does not seem to have the type of
documentation that we require to go after those involved.
“The belief here is that while some of the money might have
been spent on arms and other security issues, not all of the funds went
into that and of course, that is why there is a probe.
“As for the former Minister of Finance, she said clearly in
her letter that the former NSA should report to the President on the
disbursement of the funds.
“However, her name has been coming up, and there is a strong
likelihood that she should be invited to make clarifications. I cannot
tell you when but from what I know, she will appear to make
clarifications.
“I must tell you that those, who presided over the
disbursement in the CBN, will also be summoned to answer questions.
Okonjo-Iweala may be invited next week because of the latest
revelations.”
Our correspondent could not get the Head of Media and
Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, to comment on the story as
calls to his mobile did not connect.
Okonjo-Iweala had on Wednesday said she transferred $322m from
the looted funds recovered from a former Head of State, the late Gen.
Sani Abacha, to the Office of the NSA for military operations in the
North-East.
The former minister had, in a statement by her Media Adviser,
Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, said the transfer of the fund was approved after a
committee set up by former President Jonathan gave approval for the use
of the money.
She said based on the decision of the committee, she
personally requested that part of the recovered fund be used for
security operations while the rest be channelled into developmental
purposes.
There was a report on Wednesday that the former minister allegedly diverted N61.4bn from the Abacha loot to Dasuki’s office.
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