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Tag: Jonathan

  • Jonathan’s letter writers

    Jonathan’s letter writers

    Whether they wrote the letter to President Buhari from self-motivation, or they merely read former president Goodluck Jonathan’s lips and put their worries in writing, the ex-ministers who issued a statement late August condemning the Buhari government’s seeming ploy to deflate the contributions of the former president were controversial, if not misguided. Dr Abubakar Suleiman, a former National Planning minister, reportedly issued the statement on behalf of some Jonathan ministers. They decried what they believed were efforts to ‘condemn, ridicule and undermine’ the contributions of Dr Jonathan to nation-building. The former president should be given his due, they suggested tersely.

    If the Nigerian presidency had not been run by a camorra of former presidents, nearly all of whom think they are supernatural, infallible and exceptional, no one who carefully contemplates the sordid manner Dr Jonathan presided over Nigeria would think of standing up for him or writing anything in his defence. In the light of the forced resignation of the Guatemalan president, Otto Perez Molina, not to talk of his detention in jail, former Nigerian presidents have been treated undeservingly very well.

    The Buhari presidency may be acting very awkwardly in exposing and remedying the misdeeds of Dr Jonathan, but it has not been severe or irrational. From all the disclosures so far, Dr Jonathan should be in jail awaiting trial. And not only he, even his predecessors, chiefly Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, should have been tried long ago and put away for the abominable manner they presided over Nigeria and caused her so much grief. While it is recommended that the Buhari presidency should fine-tune its investigations into the misdeeds of past governments to eliminate the veneer of vendetta, it should not waver in its determination to unearth those misdeeds.

     

  • Jonathan, others for Dickson’s declaration

    Jonathan, others for Dickson’s declaration

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Bayelsa State Governor D. S. P. Alamieyeseigha, Ijaw leaders and other political heavyweights from the Southsouth are among dignitaries expected at the second term declaration of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson next Tuesday.

    Others include the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s governors and National Assembly members.

    Alamieyeseigha described Dickson as a good product, who would be easy to market for a second tenure in office.

    The former governor spoke when Dickson visited him at his country home in Amassoma community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    He said Dickson performed well and deserved a second tenure to consolidate on the gains of his Restoration Agenda.

    Alamieyeseigha noted that Dickson’s candidature would give the PDP victory in the December 5 governorship poll.

    Party faithful, the governor’s supporters, friends and well wishers are expected to attend the event, scheduled for 10pm.

  • The Jonathan circle

    They had everything cut out long before they left office last May 29. At a secret meeting in Abuja, former President Goodluck Jonathan and his ministers mapped out strategies on how to react to criticisms after their exit. They knew that they were leaving the country in a mess, which will become so glaring after their exit that the people will call for their heads. How to avoid the people’s wrath became their headache. The meeting decided that the only way out is for them to continue to bond together after their exit.

    Truly, since May 29, these men of yesterday have remained together. They and their principal have held series of meetings in the last three months amid the clamour for a probe of their tenure. In one of its sessions, the meeting advised Jonathan to seek the help of the Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar-led peace committee to reach out to his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari. The meeting felt that the president is breaching the understanding he reached with Jonathan and that only the peace panel could intervene to remedy the situation.

    What is this understanding they are talking about? It all has to do with the agreement signed by Buhari and Jonathan to accept the outcome of the March 28 presidential election. The essence of the pact is to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order over the election result.The parties complied with the terms of the agreement because the election came and went without violence. But does this imply that Buhari would not call Jonathan to question for his deeds in office? Of course, it does not. But those who want the immediate past administration to get away with all its atrocities want to tie Buhari’s hands with that pact, which centred mainly on a peaceful, free and fair election. With the elections over, the peace panel should automatically close shop and allow Buhari  to do his job. But, Jonathan, his ministers and others who want to use it to achieve their aims will have none of that.

    The former ministers’ thinking is that if things continued like this, Jonathan may end up being a villain in the people’s eyes. So, to avoid that, they felt it was expedient for the peace panel to do something before it is too late. That informed the meeting the panel had with the president last month. But the panel met its match in Buhari, who insisted on probing the Jonathan administration for leaving the country in a mess. The panel’s argument that a probe may rubbish Jonathan’s good deed of of conceding defeat to Buhari in the last election did not cut ice with the president. He was said to have told the panel that all those who abused their office must pay the price for their actions.

    Jonathan also met with Buhari, who stood his ground on probe. As if he knew things would turn out this way, Jonathan had at the valedictory Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on May 27 said he was not afraid of probe but that it should be extended to the administrations before his. ”Anyone calling for probes must ensure that probes are extended beyond the Jonathan administration otherwise it will amount to a witch hunt”. This has been the line of the former ministers, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its senators that have been accusing Buhari of being selective in his anti-corruption war.

    But is that the case? No, says the All Progressives Congress (APC), which points out that some of its members have also been caught in the anti-graft war web. But Jonathan and his ministers believe that they are the target. This is why they have resolved to fight back with all they have. After their last meeting in Abuja, one of them, the former National Planning Minister, Dr Abubakar Suleiman, was appointed the group’s spokesman. It is part of their larger plan to ensure that none of them goes down alone. They want to fight as a group. But there is danger in that because each person must answer for his own deed. Was the treasury looted as a group? No. The ministers might have worked together in Council, but every individual must give an  account of his stewardship, given as we all know that they did not all hold the same portfolio.

    Could it be that they are afraid and so, are seeking solace in a group? The failure of the peace panel to secure a soft landing for them may have heightened their fear that eh, this is prison! If they have no skeletons in their cupboards, they need not fear, but if they do, they should be prepared to face the consequences of their actions. Performing his first duty as the group’s spokesman, Suleiman, in a statement, claimed that lies were being peddled about the Jonathan administration, submitting : ”But such sensationalism may achieve the unintended effect of de-marketing our country within the international community”. How can?

    Suleiman is wide of the mark. Rather, Nigeria is enjoying its best time ever in the comity of nations. The president has been to the United States, where he stayed in President Barack Obama’s guest house; he has attended the G7 summit as an observer and last week, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon was in Nigeria. I don’t know what Suleiman is driving at with such a claim. Is he saying that Nigeria will be de-marketed because we want to ask our past leaders questions? Has he ever heard of any country being de-marketed for looking at its past in order to shape its future? Were countries that jailed their leaders for corruption and other misdemeanours de-marketed?

    Jonathan and his men need not fear since they say they served the nation with all their hearts. ”We are proud to have served Nigeria and we boldly affirm that we did so diligently and to the best of our abilities. The improvements that have been noticed today in the power sector, in national security and in social services and other sectors did not occur overnight. They are products of solid foundations laid by the Jonathan administration…the Jonathan administration did not encourage corruption, rather it fought corruption vigorously…for the benefit of those who may have forgotten so soon, it was the Jonathan administration that got rid of the fraud in fertiliser subsidies, which had plagued the country for decades…”

    Huh! This will be sweet music in the ears of the probe panels. Suleiman and his colleagues should go and sing it there. But will they have the courage of their conviction to appear before such panels when the time comes?

  • Jonathan, Ijaw leaders to attend Dickson’s declaration

    Jonathan, Ijaw leaders to attend Dickson’s declaration

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha, Ijaw leaders and other political heavyweights from the South-South are among dignitaries that will attend the second term declaration of Bayelsa State governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson

    Others expected at the event scheduled for September 8 in Yenagoa are the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), PDP governors and National Assembly members.

    Alamieyeseigha described Dickson as a good product that will be easy to market for a second tenure in office.

    He spoke when Dickson visited him at his country home in Amassoma community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    According to the former governor, Dickson has performed well and deserves a second tenure to consolidate on the gains of the restoration agenda.

    He stressed that, it is only a man like Dickson, who has performed creditably well that can bring victory for the PDP in the December 5 governorship polls.

    Party faithful, supporters of the governor from across the state as well as friends and well wishers are expected to also attend the event, scheduled for 10pm.

  • Bayelsa poll: Jonathan, Ijaw leaders to attend Dickson’s declaration

    Bayelsa poll: Jonathan, Ijaw leaders to attend Dickson’s declaration

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha, Ijaw leaders and other political heavyweights from the South-South are among dignitaries that will attend the second term declaration of Bayelsa State governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson

    Others expected at the event slated for September 8 in Yenagoa are the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), PDP governors and National Assembly members.

    Alamieyeseigha described Dickson as a good product that will be easy to market for a second term in office.

    He spoke when the governor visited him at his country home in Amassoma community in the Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa.

    According to the former governor, Dickson has performed well and deserves a second term to consolidate on the gains of the restoration agenda.

    He stressed that it is only a man like Dickson, who has performed creditably well that can bring victory for the PDP in the December 5 governorship polls.

  • Jonathan, ministers versus Buhari…and the battle ahead

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan may not be enjoying a blissful retirement. Outside power, he is left in the cold. The presidential privileges are gone. But, the public perception about him as a former leader is also giving him a headache. Critics are asking him to render a proper account of the administration he presided over for six years.  They blame him for poor governance, national economic adversity and a legacy of incompetence.

    However, the politician from Otuoke, Bayelsa State, is taking an exception to what he described as media trial. He is now fighting back.   Dr. Jonathan is trying to mobilise his army of former ministers, advisers and personal aides for battle. It is a collective resistance by the former men of power, some of who are now in the bad book of his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari, for alleged corruption.

    As Jonathan’s men regroup, the criticisms against them become more intense. Regressing to a tactical defence mechanism, the former leader seeks to lift the burden of accountability by diverting public attention to some sorts of achievements, hoping to achieve a relief. But, according to observers, Nigerians who endured the lean years of his rule are not assailed by “collective amnesia”.

    Irked by the persistent call for the probe of his administration, especially some ex-ministers who held sensitive portfolios, Jonathan, according to reports, met his successor for 20 minutes. He made two requests: the subjection of his team to media trial should stop and election petition tribunals in Rivers and Akwa Ibom should not be hindered by interference by the Department of State Security Service (DSS). President Buhari’s response was unknown. But, sources said that the President will not compromise his anti-corruption crusade.

    Instructively, Jonathan cried out, barely two weeks after the activist-priest, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Dr. Mathew Kukah, who lauded Jonathan’s performance in office, advised the Federal Government against what he described as selective trial and lack of due process.

    For President Buhari, there is no going back on the promise to recover looted funds and try culprits in court. On the campaign podium, he had made the promise to Nigerians. Any attempt to look back after placing his hand on the plough may backfire. There are startling revelations by Permanent Secretaries and other ministry officials who merely operated under the shadow of powerful ministers and special advisers. The rot, sources said, has not motivated the President to immediately settle down for work by appointing ministers. The National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said doing that would be tantamount to building a neat edifice on a flawed foundation.

    Public anger has not been doused. Under Jonathan, Nigeria had become a fragile nation; a stepping stone to a failed state. To observers, there should be explanations for billions of naira that went down the drain as the infrastructure battle failed. If Nigeria has suffered from power outage for years, if the National Assembly has blown the whistle on oil subsidy scam, if money earmarked for arms to fight insurgents were not properly utilised and billions that should be in the government purse developed wings, some people must be ready to accept responsibility.

    The trial of suspected corrupt officials has not commenced fully. Investigations are still on. But, the sack of government officials appointed by the past administration underscored President Buhari’s resolve to maintain a clean break from the past. Clearing the Augean stable is a major priority. The President has appointed new helmsmen for the Armed Forces, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Customs and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

    In the first 100 days of Buhari in office, Nigerians have been heaving a sigh of relief. They have invested hope in change. Electricity is becoming more stable. Even the refineries are being revived. Also, despite the fall in oil earnings, the country can boast of improved revenue. The Federal Government has embarked on the proactive measure of bailing out distressed states from their financial mess. Civil servants are turning a new leaf. The government is sharpening its arrows against fraudulent public officials. The President has said that there will be no sacred cows.

    What the Jonathan forces have resorted to is to pre-empt the Commander-In-Chief’s move to bring erring officers to book. Reminiscent of the presidential campaign days, a battle signal has been given. The approach is to move from the defensive to the offensive position. A respected priest has reminded Nigerians that former President Jonathan’s performance was spectacular in some ways. Thus, in few weeks time, when the  new opposition cabinet assembled by the former leader swings into action, there will be a sort of media war. Ahead of their investigation by the anti-graft bodies, the former ministers will render accounts in the people’s court to swing public opinion. They will tell Nigerians that Jonathan was the architect of the relatively stable power supply, the notable success recorded in the anti-terror war and the improved revenue base. Ethnic voices in the South will be recruited to criticise the President over his silence on the report of the defunct National Conference. Critics will challenge the President to tell Nigerians what he has done differently in three months.

    Also, Jonathan’s men will beam a searchlight on the political appointments made so far by President Buhari, to demonstrate their lopsidedness and violation of the federal character principle, and to the detriment of the Southwest and the Southsouth.

     

     

     

  • Probe: Jonathan holds meeting with ex-ministers

    Probe: Jonathan holds meeting with ex-ministers

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has met with some members of his cabinet in a bid to defend his integrity.

    He was said to have told the former ministers that he was “not a thief in office as being portrayed”.

    He explained how he met President Muhammadu Buhari for 20 minutes on two issues.

    They are:

    • advising Buhari against subjecting his person and former cabinet members to “media trial” on alleged corruption and;
    • why the Election Petition Tribunals in Rivers and Akwa Ibom should be allowed to work unhindered.

    He deplored what he called the involvement of the Department of State Security Service(DSS) on election-related matters in the two states.

    According to sources, the meeting was held at Jonathan’s Abuja home  a few days  ago.

    It was gathered that about 15 former ministers (including two who were recalled from London) and some former security chiefs attended.

    One of the former media aides in the Presidency attended the “strictly private” session to put issues in the correct perspective at the right time.

    But the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is central to the allegations against Jonathan, was absent.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said the session was “a frank and fact-finding” against the backdrop of plans by the Buhari administration to probe Jonathan’s tenure.

    The source said: “The ex-President confided in the meeting that he was worried that the gains of his administration were being washed away daily by the allegations of corruption being reeled out by the government.

    “He said he called the session to set the records straight and get facts because his administration was not enjoying any benefit of doubt among Nigerians, especially the media.

    “At a point, Jonathan, in an emotional manner told the meeting that ‘I am not a thief in office as being portrayed.”

    Another source said the former President asked all the ex-ministers to “brace for the probe ahead and keep their records intact to reply Buhari’s administration on issues being raised.

    “The ex-ministers unanimously agreed that there were better sides of Jonathan’s administration than being painted as a tenure of graft.

    “The key ministries, such as Works, Finance, Health, Aviation, Education and even Petroleum Resources were mandated to produce lists of achievements.

    “Some of the ex-ministers lamented that the Permanent Secretaries proving to Buhari as holier-than-thou were part of the Jonathan administration and they even made input into the handover notes.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “Jonathan and the ex-ministers admitted that the administration might have some issues to clear in the management of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

    “But they said the situation was not as bad in the oil sector as being alleged.”

    A third source said: “I think we should expect some fireworks in the next few days. The meeting resolved to reach out to the public in the same equal weight the allegations of corruption will be  released by the Buhari administration.

    “But there was a word of caution that any response must not be abusive. The President personally appointed a former Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Suleiman, to sign any statement on cabinet issues.

    It was learnt that some of the ex-Ministers asked Jonathan what he actually discussed with Buhari.

    “The President said he raised two issues with President Buhari within 20 minutes. This border on the need to avoid media trial on any allegation of corruption being looked into. He said he told Buhari that his image and members of his cabinet were being dragged in the mud. He said even in law, an accused person is deemed innocent until proven guilty.

    “Jonathan also said he asked Buhari to leave the Election Petition Tribunals in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states to do their work instead of the hounding of some INEC officials and politicians by DSS.”

  • Buhari can’t ignore corrupt practices under Jonathan

    Buhari can’t ignore corrupt practices under Jonathan

    The Presidency last night hinted why the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari won’t turn a blind eye on the corrupt practices carried out under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The brazen theft of public assets and an almost empty treasury nearly stalled the new administration.

    The Presidency asked the Association of Ex-Jonathan ministers, to do  self-reflection on the sort of government they handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    By doing this, the Presidency said they should be able to determine for themselves if it would have been right for any incoming government to ignore the brazen theft of public assets, which is perhaps the first of its kind ever witnessed in Nigeria.

    A statement by Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the the President on Media and Publicity, said the earlier statements made that there was no witch hunt or malice against anyone in the pursuit of the county’s stolen assets still stand.

    According to him, the ongoing war against corruption knows no friend nor foe.

    He said: “There is no intention to deny anyone of their good name where they are entitled to it and that President Buhari reserves the highest regards for the country’s former leaders,  including Dr Jonathan Goodluck who he continues to praise to the high heavens for the way and manner in which he accepted defeat in the last election.

    “That singular action remains a feat that has earned the former president and Nigeria befitting commendations all over the world, the latest coming from Mr Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations who visited a week ago.”

    But he pointed out that the issue of fighting corruption by Buhari is non negotiable.

    He said: “It is sine qua non to the overall reconstruction of the economy and social systems  which suffered destruction and severe denigration under the last administration.

    “President Buhari will not be deterred or blackmailed into retreat and surrender. No one in the PDP can accuse President Buhari of undermining the economy when all they handed over to him, at best,was  a tottering economy hobbled by corruption and the absence of due process.

    “Things have become worsened by the continuing fall of oil prices, which is expected to fall even further with the imminent full return of Iran to the market. All he has been doing while around is to put things together, organising to defeat Boko Haram, paying outstanding salaries, cleaning up the mess left behind, improving security and restoring our relationships with neighbours and the world.”

    Wondering what the former ministers are afraid of, he queried if they have become a new trade union overnight.

    He said: “Let this collection of ex-VIPs allow the President the peace he needs to handle the reconstruction of the economy and the nation in a manner that most serves Nigeria’s best interests.

    “President Buhari does not need these types of distraction presented by the so-called association of former ministers.”

  • APC lists new cases of alleged looting in Jonathan’s govt

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has listed new instances of the alleged looting of the treasury by some officials of the Jonathan administration, saying the corruption mess that characterized the government was so pervasive that until it is cleaned, Nigeria will not be able to actualize its potentials.

    ”Those who would rather give comfort to the looters by dismissing the media exposure of looting cases as mere hell-raising should realize that no sane person can be silent in the face of what is unfolding as the worst cases of brazen stealing of public funds in Nigeria’s history,” the party said in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    ”On Aug. 16th 2015, we listed some instances of the breath-taking looting of the treasury by some officials of the immediate past Administration. Today, we bring three more heart-rendering cases to the attention of Nigerians. We will not relent until closure has been brought to this issue,” it said, listing the new cases as:

    – A mind-shattering 2.2 billion-US-dollar arms scandal.

    – A 6.9 million-dollar fraud by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to
    President Jonathan, committed under the guise of buying three mobile
    stages for the President.

    – A 2.5 billion-Naira scam involving the rent of house boats.

    ”While those charged with handling these cases are finalizing the details of bringing the suspects to justice, our immediate concern is the attempt by the PDP, under whose umbrella the looting took place, to blame the Buhari Administration for the mess and then infer that things have been worse in Nigeria in the past three months under the APC-led federal government than in the 16 years under the PDP. This is totally provocative, shameless and uncharitable.

    ”They say we are yet to fulfil our campaign promises to Nigeria, but they have forgotten that if only the PDP/Jonathan Administration had not stolen Nigeria blind, there would have been more than enough money to give school children in Nigeria not just one but three meals a day and even pay 5,000 Naira to 50 million most vulnerable Nigerians, not just the 25 million we promised in our manifesto,” APC said

    Despite the discovery of alleged cases of corruption under the Jonathan Administration, the APC assured Nigerians of better days ahead, as all its campaign promises will be kept because of the commitment and determination of President Buhari not only to cleaning the Augean Stable but also ensuring purposeful governance for the benefit of all Nigerians.

    ”It is clear to all Nigerians that the debilitating impact of 16 years of PDP’s misrule cannot be reversed in just 3 months. It is an obvious truth that it is always easier to destroy than to construct, but nothing will stand in the way of the Buhari Administration’s commitment to improving the quality of life of Nigerians and making our country to function again,” it said.

    APC said that a major clog in the wheel of faster progress for the new Nigeria under President Buhari has been the discovery that the pot housing the commonwealth has been licked dry by the looters of yesterday.

    ” Hence, the need to work meticulously to recover the looted funds and facilitate the delivery of good governance that will manifest in abundant jobs, strong economy and improved welfare and security for Nigerians.”

    APC said while the PDP presents the recently released data on job creation and economic growth as ‘clear signals’ that President Muhammadu Buhari is failing Nigerians, the party omitted the fact that those numbers are basically a manifestation of the final days of President Jonathan’s economic policies.

    ”The PDP omitted the fact that these numbers measure job creation and economic growth for the second quarter of 2015, which covers April to June 2015, a period in which President Jonathan was in office for two months while President Buhari was only just settling in to discover even more of the mess left for him to clear. No one in his or her right mind will hold someone more accountable for actions in just one month and exonerate another who was in the same office for two months.

    ”Since the PDP has become insular to global events, the APC will also like to educate the party that every country in the world is struggling to adjust to the effects of a global downturn at the moment. Only very few countries, if any, are growing as fast as they did, in say two years ago. From China, India, Russia, South Africa, to Ghana, Malaysia and Brazil, every country is feeling the effects of a sustained slowdown in global growth.

    ”The APC will also like to categorically say that it supports the policies of the CBN in its quest to ensure greater transparency in the Forex market and eliminate currency substitution in our economy. The CBN’s policy to stop cash deposits of foreign currency is in line with global best practices and has led to a drastic reduction in the BDC exchange rate for the Dollar, the party said.

    It commended Nigerians for showing absolute understanding and faith in the leadership of President Buhari to change the way that Nigeria has been misruled in the last 16 years, and assured that, in the days ahead, the painstaking efforts of the President will manifest even more than Nigerians have already witnessed.

  • Jonathan, Alison-Madueke, ex-CSO fingered in $6.9m scandal

    Jonathan, Alison-Madueke, ex-CSO fingered in $6.9m scandal

    •Security agencies probe purchase of mobile stages
    •How NNPC secret account was used

    Security agencies are now probing   how the administration of  former President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly withdrew $6.9million (N1.460b) from a secret account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) to buy three  12 meter (40 feet)  mobile stages for use at public events.

    The cash was said to be part of the unremitted funds into the Federation Account by NNPC.

    The purported purchase, according to investigation, did not pass through due process and was known only to Dr. Jonathan, his then Chief Security Officer, Mr. O.J. Obuah and former Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    Obuah, it was gathered, raised a memo to his boss for the purchase and the release of the money to that effect.

    Jonathan allegedly gave his approval and authorized the former minister to disburse the fund.

    Shedding light on how the deal was struck on October 17, 2011 through a curious memo from Obuah, a source familiar with the development said preliminary investigation suggested that there was no record of purchase of the said stages.

    It was learnt that the $6.9million was paid into a company’s account after NNPC directed that the money be taken from one of its accounts in New York CITIBANK with sort code CITIUS 33, and Routing number 021000089.

    The affected company, J. Marine Logistics Limited, Abuja, was purportedly registered by Obuah.

    The source said: “Between himself, his Chief Security Officer and the former Petroleum Minister, former President Goodluck Jonathan spent in just one shot deal a whopping $6.9 million dollars to buy three 40-feet mobile stages for use at public speaking events.”

    Federal government investigators and security agencies, sources added, believe this is just one of the tons of alleged corrupt practices frequently engaged in and condoned under the last president.

    “Besides the fact that the sum for the stages was incredibly inflated, according to mobile stage industry experts, government investigators say there is no evidence yet that any stage was purchased at all,” one source said, citing several documents.

    One of the documents says: “At the centre of the fraudulent financial ring was the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. O.J. Obuah who initiated a memo to the former president on October 17, 2011 asking for the purchase of three mobile stages.

    “He said in that memo to the former president that this is regarding “my earlier discussion with Your Excellency on the security implication of your public appearances and your subsequent directive on the need to procure a secured presidential platform.”

    “And on the same day without any financial advice or purchase order reviews, the former president minuted his approval of the request to buy the three stages to the then Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    “In his minute, the president said ‘we have discussed this, please deal.”

    “Right after that okay from the president, on the same October 17, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administrative Matters, Matt Aikhionbere did another letter on the strength of the president’s approval requesting the Petroleum Minister to take action on the request to purchase the stages for $6.9m.

    “By the next month, an NNPC payment voucher number 3840336 was already in place revealing that the money was released. NNPC directed that the money be taken from one of its accounts in New York CITIBANK with sort code CITIUS 33, and Routing number 021000089.

    “It was first routed from the US bank to an NNPC account in Zenith Bank account number 5000026593, Maitama branch in Abuja, from where the money was sent to a private account. The sum of $6.9m was then credited to a Sterling Bank account of one J. Marine Logistics Limited, Abuja, a company investigators say was registered by Obuah.”

    Responding to a question, the source said: “The $6.9miilion in question was promptly paid on November 29, 2011 into a private account belonging to the former CSO.

    “The former president approved the procurement of the mobile platforms without due process and bye-passing the Procurement Act neither was there an appropriation in the 2011 budget for such facility.

    “Neither the minister of Finance nor the Director-General of the Budget Office was aware of the deal.

    “There are no records of this purchase which was carried out late 2011.”

    The preliminary findings also indicated that the cost of the stages might have been inflated.

    The source said:  “According to the investigators, the cost of mobile stages depends on size and designs; only outlandish rock star musicians in Europe and the US spend hundreds of thousands on their huge stages way bigger than the 40-feet stages.

    “Even then, those musicians and super stars would not pay over $2m per stage, according to industry sources.

    “The process of procurement of the three mobile stages was not known to extant Nigerian laws and due process regulations, nor were the offices of the Auditor-General and the Accountant-General in the know.”

    It was learnt that the deal was one of the issues  for which the ex-CSO was grilled quizzed by the Department of State Security(DSS) during his recent arrest and detention.

    One of the officials handling the investigation added: “ The CSO himself according to investigators has not been able to show proof of the purchase and his memo irked his bosses at the SSS that he took the initiative to request  for the stages, an action which officials say was way above his pay grade.

    “It is not the duty or responsibility of the CSO to make the determination on that purchase. He was meant to have informed the service, which will then review the situation and act accordingly.

    “What has happened here is that the former president and the former minister with the collusion of the CSO decided to use public funds for other purposes since no one has found the stages as we speak.”

    “This is just one of the several instances where the Jonathan administration used secret NNPC accounts to fund questionable projects and for alleged personal financial aggrandizements.”

    It was gathered that some of these embarrassing issues were part of the matters raised by Jonathan with the National Peace Committee headed by the former Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar.

    The committee later facilitated a secret parley between President Muhammadu Buhari and ex-President Jonathan.

    But at the session, Buhari insisted that the law must take its course with  anyone found guilty of corruption.

    At the June 29th meeting of the National Economic Council at the State House, the council had raised questions over the non- remittance of the finances generated by the NNPC into the Federation Account.