Reno Omokri, former aide of
ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, says two of the individuals alleged by
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to have stolen $3 billion under the former
president, were not members of his cabinet.
He also accused the vice-president
of belittling his office by lying.
While speaking at ‘The Platform’,
a programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre, Lagos, Osinbajo the duo
looted the nation’s treasury when Jonathan was in power.
Osinbajo had said: “Grand
corruption remains the most enduring threat to our economy. Three billion US
dollars was stolen in what was called the strategic alliance contracts in 2013,
three Nigerians were responsible, today three billion dollars is N1 trillion
and our budget is N7 trillion.”
The strategic alliance agreement
(SAA) was between the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Ltd, a
subsidiary of NNPC, and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts (AEDC) owned by
Omokore and Aluko.
In a statement on Monday, Omokri
said the vice-president had belittled his office by lying.
“It goes without saying that both
Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko were private businessmen who had dealings with
various corporations and whose dealings are the subject of litigation,” the
statement read.
“Yes, Diezani Alison-Madueke was
a member of the Jonathan cabinet. Yes, allegations and charges have been
brought against her. However, she challenges these allegations and is ready to
have her day in court, but no-where has she ever been accused of stealing $3
billion.
“She has also never been
convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria or any country in
the world.”
He said it was unfortunate that a
government embroiled in controversy over the illegal withdrawal from the excess
crude account could be levelling allegations against others.
“It is funny that an
administration that illegally withdrew $496 million from the excess crude
account without due process, allegedly to pay for 12 Super Tucano jets, is
accusing the Jonathan administration of illegal withdrawals,” he said.
“Nigerians and the international
community are aware that the illegal withdrawal by the Buhari government
triggered an impeachment attempt against the president at the senate of the
national assembly which is still raising dust.
“According to the world’s premier
aviation intelligence agency, Flight Global, the cost of a Super Tocano
aircraft is $10 million. Rather than make false allegations against the
Jonathan government, the Buhari administration should rather tell Nigerians why
an aircraft that is sold for $10 million each is costing Nigeria almost $40
million each?
“In November 2017, Afghanistan
bought 6 A-29 Super Tucanos at a total cost of $174.5 million, a price tag
which included aircraft transportation, maintenance spares and advanced
sensors. Why is Nigeria paying $496 million for 12 of the same aircrafts?
“The excuse given by the Buhari
administration that it had to make haste and pay for the Super Tocano jets
because of the anti-terror war does not make sense since the US has announced
that the jets would not be ready until the year 2020. What is the hurry to pay
for 2020 planes to fight a 2018 problem?
“Also, when Osinbajo said ‘These
cases of grand corruption and open looting of public resources pauperized
Nigeria and left us with little or no savings’, he has forgotten that on
October 28, 2017, he said ‘When we came in, we had a foreign reserve of $32
billion’.
“If indeed Jonathan left the
Buhari administration with “with little or no savings”, then from whom did they
inherit the $32 billion in foreign reserves that the vice president admitted to
at the ‘Greater Nigeria Pastors Conference’ organised by the Berean Ministers
Group?
“Osinbajo is also challenged to
boldly tell Nigerians how much was left by the Jonathan administration in the
sovereign wealth fund which the Jonathan government set up. While doing that,
can he also tell Nigerians how much the Buhari administration met in the
coffers of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas company’s account to be inherited
by the incoming government.
“The truth is that no matter how
far and fast falsehood has travelled, it must eventually be overtaken by truth
and this time, the truth emerged from the mouth of the accuser, albeit, in a
Freudian slip.”
Osinbajo also disgraces himself as a Christian by lying .
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