The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jonathan’s campaign

  • Ex-NSITF boss: no link with Jonathan campaign

    Ex-NSITF boss: no link with Jonathan campaign

    THE former chairman of  the Nigeria Security Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF),  Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, has said she has nothing to do with former President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign finance committee.

    She made the clarification in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday while reacting to her detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC (EFCC) over allegation of N69 billion fraud.

    In a statement issued by her media aide, Stanley Imoko,  Dr. Olejeme stated that contrary to reports that she was arrested, she willingly submitted herself to the commission to clear  the wrong allegations against her.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to media reports about the circumstance sorrounding the issues that Dr  Ngozi Olejeme is currently having with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  (EFCC).

    “While we recognise the constitutional right of the media to inform the public,  we are inclined to set the records straight by stating what has transpired so far between Dr.  Ngozi Olejeme and the EFCC.

    “Dr. Olejeme who was declared wanted three months ago by EFCC for alleged diversion of several billions of Naira in NSITF where she was a part time Chairman during the last administration turned herself in voluntarily to EFCC on Monday the 18th of December, 2017 in order to clear her name which the alleged story of diversion tried to smear.

    ” Dr Olejeme was appointed a part time chairman of the agency when the agency was moribund  and comatose having been divested of its core responsibility of managing pension funds of Nigerian workers by the New Reform Pension Act of 2004 .

     

    “Dr Olejeme’s dexterity saw the enactment of a new law by the National Assembly that gave some responsibilities ( like social scheme  compensation for employees who suffer injury or death in the course of their duties) to the agency and which resurrected the agency back to life.

     

    “The agency that had only two functional offices when she was appointed witnessed a tremendous growth both in offices across the length and breadth of Nigeria and personnel from 80 employees to about 7000 by the time she exited from the board.

     

    “Dr. Olejeme got to know about this when she was declared wanted by EFCC for alleged diversion of several billions of Naira by her and the management.

     

    “More shocking to her was the conspiracy of some of the management staff of the agency to heap all their nefarious activities on her head while she was away on the demonic understanding that she may not come back to defend herself, having known of her health challenge while abroad.

     

    “What compounded Dr Olejeme’s issues was that while she was recuperating from  the surgeries carried out on her  abroad, she was declared wanted by EFCC and she was unable to return to address some of the unfounded lies and allegations against her as a result of her doctors’ advice.

     

    “She made her lawyers to write severally to EFCC to exercise patience as her ill health has made it practically impossible to return immediately to answer to the allegations. Pictures of her complicated medical ordeal and doctors’ reports were also sent to the Agency.

     

    “When EFCC could not bulge and continued to insist on her return, she told her doctors that she will defy their expert advice and return back to address these issues, as lies undefended do normally assume some modicum of truth , and so on the 17th of December, 2017 she flew into the country and in the company of her lawyers turned herself in  to EFCC on the 18th of December, 2017.

     

    Imoko further noted that Dr. Olejeme has been responding to these allegations and interrogations, addressing the conspiracy and lies by some of the witnesses and accused persons in the case.

     

    “It must be pointed out that the EFCC has been very professional in the handling of the case  so far.

     

    “They have confronted her with some of their star witnesses whose statements appear contradictory in every material particular.

     

    Imoko however lamented the continued detention of Dr. Olejeme by the EFCC even

     

    “The agency has given  her administrative bail conditions which she has promptly fulfilled but they are yet to let her go but currently detained in hospital  as a result of her complicated medical conditions confirmed by both doctors abroad and at home.

     

    “She is there under the watch of heavy security guards that makes her recovery from ailment nearly impossible due to her constant anxiety

     

    “Her lawyers are however  puzzled  as to why  Dr Olejeme is not granted bail (allowed to go home) after she has fulfilled the  said conditions, and therefore, are strategising on the next possible action to take to secure her bail as the offence she is accused of is a bailable one.”

  • Jonathan’s campaign chief Alli, PDP sued over N70m debt

    Jonathan’s campaign chief Alli, PDP sued over N70m debt

    The Director-General of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign Council, Ahmadu Ali, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some others have been sued over their alleged refusal to pay for services rendered by  some organisations engaged for the campaign.

    Silon Concepts Limited, in a suit filed before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alleged that Ali, the PDP and former Finance Minister, Senator Nenadi Usman, who served as the Director of Finance in ex-President Jonathan’s campaign orgnisation, have refused to pay an outstanding N70million balance for a campaign contract awarded it.

    The firm averred that it was engaged to provide “voice SMS campaign broadcast,” which it sent to eligible voters on behalf of the PDP’s presidential candidate, former President Jonathan before the March 28, 2015 presidential poll.

    The plaintiff stated that the defendants were unwilling to pay the N70m balance of the N100m contract sum. It urged the court to, among others compel the defendants to pay the outstanding sum and N15m as the cost of the suit.

    Silon also seeks “an order compelling the defendants to pay N15m as cost of the suit and an order compelling the defendants to pay the bank an annual interest rate of 10 per cent on the sum of N70m until the said sum is fully liquidated”.

    Silon claimed, in its originating processes, that  the PDP, through Alli, agreed to pay it N100m for a contract of sending ‘Voice SMS campaign broadcast’ to eligible voters as part of the campaign for the party’s presidential candidate. Silon claimed that it successfully executed the project with continued assurance from the defendants that the balance would be made available in no distant time.

    Silon’s Managing Director, Sylvester Odion stated in a statement of claim that the PDP only paid N20m as initial payment instead of N30m as agreed and that the ex-Finance Minister, Nenadi  Usman paid the N20m through a cheque in the name of a company,  Joint Dimension Nigeria Limited, whose account Usman serves as the sole signatory.

    Odion stated that the PDP had agreed to pay the full balance for the contract to his company before the election.

    He added that following consistent demand for payment by his company, the PDP only issued a cheque of N10m to his company on May 19, 2015, remaining a balance of N70m.

    “That I know the plaintiff’s offer was accepted by the defendants on March 5, 2015 wherein it agreed to pay the plaintiff the sum of N100m only for the project.

    “That I know that the terms of its engagement as clearly highlighted in the defendants letter of engagement, the approved sum of N100m only was to be paid before the kick-off of the project but only the sum of N20m was released to it for the takeoff with the promise to pay the balance before the 2015 presidential election.

    “That I know the said sum of N20m was paid to the plaintiff by 3rd defendant (Usman) through a cheque of a company known as Joint Dimension Nig. Ltd of which the 3rd defendant is the sole signatory.

    “That considering the caliber of the persons involved the plaintiff had no cause to doubt the credibility of the offer. That the plaintiff went ahead and executed the project successfully with continued assurance from the defendants the balance will be made available in no distance time.

    “That the defendants failed to honour their words and could not pay the balance and the plaintiff made demand (letter dated March 26, 2015) for payment of the balance through the office of the then 1st defendant’s chairman Board of Trustees and adviser, presidential campaign organisation (Chief Tony Anenih).

    “That the defendant could not pay the balance notwithstanding the said demand but only issued another cheque of N10m to the plaintiff on May 19, 2015.

    “That I know the plaintiff held series of meetings with the defendants before and after the issuance of the last cheque demanding the payment of the balance but the defendants remained adamant.”

    The case is yet to be assigned for hearing.

  • Jonathan’s campaign insists on soldiers

    Jonathan’s campaign insists on soldiers

    The presidential campaign organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as a pack of lies, the string of allegations of impropriety levelled against President Goodluck Jonathan and the party by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP presidential campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, described the allegations as absurd and ludicrous.

    Accusing the opposition of being paranoid, Fani-Kayode said the APC has mastered the art of peddling falsehood.

    “The truth is that we are not strategising to shift the election dates.  We are not trying to frame up Jega.  We have no plans to plant any illegal substance in the bags of any of the leaders of the APC whenever they travel.

    “We are not trying to compromise the telephone numbers of any of the INEC officials.  President Jonathan is not planning to arrest opposition leaders before the elections.

    “The Presidency has not retained the services of any foreigner to corrupt or compromise INEC computers on election day and we are not planning to do any of the other reprehensible things that they have alleged.

    “The truth is that if they were in our position, these are the sort of sordid things that they would do.  Such dirty things and filthy tactics are a way of life and an art with them.  But for us, such things are alien, perverse and unacceptable”.

    The PDP campaign said it was not surprised that the APC resorted to peddling falsehood in order to gain public sympathy, stressing that the opposition has been displaying its expertise in cheap propaganda.

    “We take exception to their fiction and false claims and we will not take this matter lightly,” Fani-Kayode said, adding that the APC was mounting a smear campaign against the ruling party.

    He continued: “The APC and its leaders are simply unraveling and falling apart at the seams. They are the ones who had perfected a plan to rig the forthcoming elections through the lopsided distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    “They were very comfortable with the fact that 34 per cent of registered voters had not collected their PVCs as at February 14 just before the presidential election was postponed.

    “The APC and its leaders said they were ready for that election when it was obvious that the PVC collection rate in the North, comprising some of the traditional strongholds of their presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, was higher than the collection rate in the South, the traditional support base of our candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “We are happy that many eligible voters are now going out to collect their PVCs.  We know that the APC and its leaders are not happy about this development because they had wanted to railroad themselves on the nation through a compromised and rigged election.

    “How can they be happy when the advantage they obviously enjoyed before the postponement of the February 14 presidential election has now been removed?

    “Our position on the card reader remains that the machine has not been tested in any election and there are bases for genuine concern over the use of the machine, for the first time, in a crucial election of this magnitude.

    “We are aware of the plot by the APC, working in cahoots with some strategically placed and retrogressive elements, to use the card readers to frustrate accreditation in some parts of the country while not enforcing strict use of the machines in some other parts.

    “The truth is that if they go ahead with that wicked plot, the APC and its collaborators will only be preparing the ground for mass resistance. They can be rest assured that we will not sit by idly and allow such a thing to unfold.

    “The APC and its leaders are merchants of violence.  They are creating laughable scenarios and possibilities that will feed into their agenda to cause chaos and violence before, during and after the forthcoming elections.

    “This is why we insist on the deployment of soldiers in the forthcoming elections as it was done in the gubernatorial elections in Edo and Osun where APC won, in Ondo where Labour Party won, in Anambra where APGA won, and in Ekiti where the PDP won.”

  • Jonathan’s campaign attacks INEC over PVCs’ distribution

    THE ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of discriminating against its supporters in the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in certain states.

    The PDP has also accused the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega of holding secret meeting with leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and undisclosed locations within the Nigeria.

    Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP presidential campaign organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, made the allegations at a media briefing in Abuja yesterday.

    Fani-Kayode listed Benue, Enugu, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo and Plateau as some of the states where INEC had discriminated against PDP supporters in the distribution of the PVCs.

    In Lagos State, the ruling party accused INEC of denying non-indigenes of the cards.

    The non-indigenes, Fani-Kayode said, form the bulk of PDP’s supporters in Lagos State.

    A pro-Jonathan group, comprising Chief Edwin Clark; former Second Republic Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; former old Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife; and Archbishop Ayo Ladigolu had earlier accused Jega of holding secret meetings with members of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at an undisclosed location.

    Clark and his group called for Jega’s resignation and arrest by the security agencies.

    But, the INEC chairman, during a question and answer session with reporters at his last news conference, described the accusation as a distraction, baseless and unfounded.

    Yesterday, Fani-Kayode declined reporters request to substantiate the allegation of Jega’s meetings with APC leaders in Dubai and other secret locations in the country.

    When some reporters at the briefing reminded Fani-Kayode that Jega had since refuted the allegation at a previous briefing, the campaign spokesman insisted that the INEC chair must still answer the charges.

    Fani-Kayode:  “It is left for Jega to come out and defend himself. It depends on how he responds; perhaps, he may confess. He must respond before people lose confidence in him. We have our facts and figures.

    “We cannot say everything at a single press conference. Chief Clark, Dr. Ekwueme, Dr. Ezeife and others have already called for Jega’s resignation.

    “I want him to answer us. Then, we will take him up from there. When he answers, we will know the next step to take.”

    In a reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, in a text message said the INEC would not join issues with political parties because the commission remained a dispassionate umpire.

    However, the President’s campaign spokesman described as “asinine” accusation of purchase of PVCs levelled against the ruling party by the opposition.

    He stressed that the PVCs once purchased, could not be used by any other person other than the original owners, adding that the cards would require the thumbprints of the original owners to be valid.

    Reacting to the endorsement of the APC presidential candidate by former President Olusegun Obasanjo at a function in Nairobi, Kenya, as reported in the media yesterday, Fani-Kayode said Obasanjo was entitled to his views.

    He added, however, that it would be a surprise for Obasanjo to endorse Buhari, in view of what he (Obasanjo) knew about the APC presidential candidate.

    Fani-Kayode said: “Obasanjo is entitled to his views. It’s about one man, one vote. It is unfortunate that Obasanjo knows Buhari and still endorsed him. We wish him well”.

    The President’s campaign spokesman denied the military siege to the Ikoyi, Lagos private residence of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, saying: “It is a pernicious lie. It is untrue.

    “How can it be possible to monitor him? What threat does he present to our nation? It is a sorry time that a leading opposition is making such allegation. Nigeria is not a police state. We don’t prosecute people with police, with soldiers, with SSS”.

  • Jonathan’s campaign committee’s inauguration shifted

    Jonathan’s campaign committee’s inauguration shifted

    THE scheduled inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) Presidential Campaign Organisation (PCO) could not hold in Abuja yesterday.

    The inauguration, which was cancelled at the last minute, is now rescheduled to hold today by 11am at the Legacy House, Abuja.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Rufa’i Alkali, announced the postponement.

    According to him, the postponement was due to the death of the President’s younger sister, Mrs. Nancy Jonathan-Olei, at the weekend.

    Alkali called for a one-minute silence in honour of the deceased before the guests gradually departed.

    Many members of the party and other prominent guests were already seated at the Legacy House, Maitama before the cancellation was announced.

    PDP governors, Senate President David Mark, Vice President Namadi Sambo, and President Goodluck Jonathan and his entourage were still been awaited before the announcement.

    However, Mark has condoled with the president and his family on the death of his younger sister.

    Mark, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, in Abuja, expressed sadness over the death, saying that her death had robbed the nation of her worthy enterprise.

    He said: “I received the news of the death of your dear sister with shock. I earnestly identify with you and share in this painful loss. I pray that the good Lord give you the fortitude to bear this pain and grant our beloved sister eternal rest in the bosom of the Lord.”

    He also condoled with the first family and the citizens of Bayelsa over the sad loss.

    The Senate president, however, urged the family to take solace in the fact that although late Nancy lived a short life, she left a good legacy and impacted positively on her immediate environment.

  • Jonathan’s campaign: the gravy train sails again

    Jonathan’s campaign: the gravy train sails again

    Even Hardball is awed and shocked at once that the walls and pillars that hold together all the fabrics of state are being chipped at daily. Hardball is even more troubled that the Presidency seems to be on a no-holds-barred rampage to secure a second term for the incumbent president and nothing, absolutely nothing, would be held sacred for this galloping ambition.

    You must have seen the list of the over 200-member Presidential Declaration Committee (PDC) released last week from the State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Apart from the sheer size of the horde, there is a disturbing large number of serving public officials on it. It is bad enough that the incumbent president may have shutdown official work in his quest for another term of office, need we blank out the entire government just because one man seeks to fulfill his ambition to rule the country?

    Ayim Pius Ayim, who is the sitting Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), is also the secretary of the PDC and there are about half a dozen governors, including: T.A. Orji, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Babangida Aliyu, Ibrahim Shema, Liyel Imoke and Olusegun Mimiko. They will have to suspend everything else and get on the PDC train. Of course there are tens of former governors and deputies who must have scrambled to make the team.

    Current members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and heads of MDAs abound. Notable among them are Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, Osita Chidoka, Jumoke Akinjide, Bala Mohammed and Zainab Maina. There are over two-dozen senators, mostly serving, and a pack of House of Representatives’ members.

    Hardball was under the impression that electioneering campaigns were personal and, at best, party affairs, but President Jonathan is changing all that. It seems to be purely government business now; the cream of the executive council has been mobilised to return the president to power.

    Take note that all the old suspects are there – all the government house ‘rats’ who do not seem to have the capacity to survive outside the precincts of the Presidential Villa; people like Ibrahim Mantu, Jerry Gana, Josephine Anenih, Ambassador Hassan Adamu, Raymond Dokpesi, Ebenezer Babatope, Shuaibu Oyedokun and Abba Dabo. We have known these people to live perpetually on the ‘MV Aso Rock’ gravy boat, not minding which darkling isle it sails. But then Mr. Hardball wise up, life is about gravy, stupid.

    And one small, last note: did you notice as Hardball did, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke at the commanding heights of this campaign host? We mean that she sits at the pinnacle of the Finance Sub-committee. Recall that that was the strategic high-stool occupied by the estranged dowager of Jonathan’s electioneering effort in 2011; we speak of course of no other than the cat-eyed and bewitchingly beautiful Princess Stella Oduah. She was the Exchequer of Jonathan’s 2011 campaign, managing the nebulous Neighbour-2-Neighbour, which dished out money as if it were the sands of the ocean shore.

    Today, Diezani, the Petroleum and Mineral Resources minister, sits atop Jonathan’s candy mountain, what must be a bottomless war chest for the 2015 campaign. What are Nigerians supposed to think now? All the billions of dollars allegedly missing under Diezani’s watch at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC; what do you think now dear reader?