Why I gave Abacha loot to Dasuki –Okonjo-Iweala

More facts are coming to light on how monies embezzled by former dictator, General Sani Abacha, which were returned to the country, were spent by the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Wednesday, said that about $322 million, being part of the Abacha loot was returned to the country, which she transferred to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) then occupied by Col Sambo Dasuki (retd).

Okonjo-Iweala in a statement by her Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu said that the money which was approved by former President Jonathan was meant to assist in fighting the war on terror and the Boko Haram sect.
The statement read in part, “Former President Jonathan set up a Committee comprising of the former Minister of Justice, former NSA and the former Minister of Finance to determine how best to use both the returned and expected funds for development.

“The NSA made a case for using the returned funds for urgent security operations since, he noted, there cannot be any development without peace and security. Based on this, a decision was taken to deploy about $322m for the military operations.

Read also: Dasuki reveals how $2bn arms money was shared

“Following the discussions and based on the urgency of the NSA’s memo, Dr Okonjo-Iweala requested the President to approve the transfer of the requested amount to the NSA’s Office for the specified purposes.”

She also lamented that “The attempt to link the former Minister’s name to any misuse of these funds for any purpose other than security as far as she understood it is totally false and cannot stand.”

There was a report on Wednesday that the former minister diverted N61.4bn from the Abacha loot to the office of the former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

She was reported to have written a letter to Jonathan requesting the transfer of the fund to the NSA’s office.
Responding to a statement by the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, the ex-finance minister, said she had nothing to do with the $2.1bn arms probe.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now