A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke(SAN) yesterday said the ministry was not involved in the payment of the $1.6billion judgment debt obtained by the 774 local government councils in the country.
He said he ensured the decentralization of judgment debt payment as part of steps to check the abuse of the policy.
He said by the operation of the Policy, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation was only a nominal party to suits initiated against MDAs.
He said the Ministry of Finance was primarily liable on the payment of the $1.6billion.
Adoke , who made the clarifications in a statement in Abuja said he only presented a memo to the Federal Executive Council, which approved that the payment of Judgment debts be decentralized.
He said: “It will be recalled that when I assumed office in 2010, one of the reforms measures I initiated was the decentralization of payment of judgment debts, which was before then, domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Justice.
“This became pertinent in view of allegations of collusion, connivance, bribery and other acts of corruption that had trailed the Judgment Debt payment system I had inherited.
“ I therefore presented a Memorandum on the issue to the Federal Executive Council, which considered the reasons I had articulated and approved that the payment of Judgment debts be decentralized (meaning that henceforth, the various MDAs will be responsible for payment of judgment debts that they were primarily liable from their budgetary allocations).
“The objective was to make the MDAs take active interest in cases that they were involved, ensure robust defence to such actions and instill transparency and accountability in the system.
“By the operation of the Policy, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation was only a nominal party to suits initiated against MDAs including suit number FHC/ABJ/129/2013, where the Ministry of Finance was the Primary/Principal Party.
“This notwithstanding, when enforcement proceedings commenced, I wrote to the Ministry of Finance to ascertain whether they had appealed the judgment. The Ministry’s response to my enquiry was that they did not appeal and had no intention of appealing the judgment.
“It was at this stage that I advised that steps be taken to reach an amicable settlement that can guarantee a win-win outcome. This was the advisory role I could play under the prevailing policy.”
He insisted that the ministry was not involved in the payment of the $1.6billion.
The former Minister added: “It should be appreciated that the Federal Ministry of Justice was not involved in the payment of the alleged judgment sum and could not have been involved since the Ministry of Finance was primarily liable. I could therefore not have been involved in the alleged diversion.
“ It is instructive to note that the publication detailed the names of individuals and corporate entities to which monies were allegedly paid. I am not mentioned as an individual beneficiary and therefore find it mischievous and malicious that my name featured prominently in the aforementioned headline.
“I therefore urge my well-wishers and other Nigerians who have expressed concern over the publication to be rest assured that I was not a party to any unwholesome act or diversion of public funds as alleged.
“The EFCC has no reason to investigate me on the strength of this frivolous petition. I reiterate that in all my public service, my only motivation was the desire to serve my fatherland and contribute my quota to the development of our great country.”