Okonjo-Iweala: Hypocritical, Lies, Deceit and Disregard for Due rocess. - Falana
A
Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has berated the
immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, describing her service
to Nigeria as one based on lies, deceit and disregard for due process.
The
senior advocate said this in a three-page statement on Wednesday while reacting
to Okonjo-Iweala’s diatribe against him. Okonjo-Iweala had on Monday described
Falana as an ‘integrity-challenged charlatan’ who was being sponsored by
corrupt elements.
The
former minister had also slammed Falana for attempting to implicate her in the
$2.1bn arms scam and drag her before the International Criminal Court.
However,
Falana said it was hypocritical of Okonjo-Iweala to attempt to extricate
herself from the corruption that characterised the last administration. He said
her service record was that of scandals and scams.
He
noted that the N2.5tn fuel subsidy scam, the $2bn arms scam, the mismanaged
$1bn Gen. Sani Abacha loot and many other episodes of financial impropriety
came up under Okonjo-Iweala as finance minister. He, therefore, questioned the
former minister’s right to claim innocence.
Falana
said anytime Okonjo-Iweala was challenged with hard facts, she resorted to
name-calling.
He
said, “Her baseless attack is not unusual as she is always quick to deflect
criticisms by accusing anyone seeking to hold her to account for her appalling
records in government of ulterior political motives.
“When
former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, alleged that
about N30tn could not be accounted for under her watch, he was described as ‘an
embittered loser in the Nigerian political space.’
“When
Governor Adams Oshiomhole questioned the illegal withdrawal of $2bn from the
Excess Crude Account, he was accused of having animus towards her because she
had blocked Edo State from obtaining a loan.
“Therefore,
instead of exchanging vulgar abuse with the former minister, I shall respond to
the diversionary allegations which lacerated her response and the attempt to
extricate herself from the mass looting of the commonwealth under her watch.”
The
rights activist said every attempt by Okonjo-Iweala to explain her role in the
arms scam had been illogical.
Falana
wondered how Okonjo-Iweala could have released the recovered Abacha loot to the
embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, when she knew that
the Seventh Assembly had approved a loan of $1bn for former President Goodluck
Jonathan to fight insurgency.
He
added, “Whereas the former finance minister had insisted that only $500m was
recovered from the Abacha loot, my petition detailed the recovery of $4bn. As
she could not challenge my claim, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala now says that the $500m was
the amount recovered while she was the minister of finance under former
President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“In
making that claim, she did not take cognisance of her recent statement that
while she gave out $322m to Dasuki, the sum of $700m had been set aside for
development. From her own account, over $1bn was recovered from the loot under
the Jonathan regime when she was coordinating the economy.
“Dr.
Okonjo-Iweala should have also provided further explanations as to why a
substantial part of the Abacha loot was criminally diverted under her watch,
especially in the light of her confessional statement that she transferred
$322m from the Abacha loot to Dasuki to prosecute the war on terror.”
Falana
alleged that the former minister also released £5.5m to Dasuki on a separate
occasion and could thus not claim to be ignorant of the scam that took place
under her nose.
“Dr.
Okonjo-Iweala’s excuse that the said $322m was released due to the urgency of
the crisis in the North-East is untenable having regard to the fact that former
President Jonathan had sought the approval of the National Assembly to take a
loan of $1bn to equip the armed forces to fight insurgency.”
Eniola
Akinkuotu
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