Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State lamented the massive looting of the funds during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Governor said while he was in no position to determine if the former President was personally guilty, or if he acquiesced to the looting, but as President, he must take responsibility for what happened under his watch.
In an interview with Sahara Reporters TV in Washington DC, Governor Oshiomhole also said although he had raised many questions on the tenure of the former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, he has nothing personal against her.
He said: “what is obvious is that so much money was diverted and unaccounted for from government treasury. Not just from excess crude account, but also from other agencies of government. The numbers are huge.
For example, NNPC reports that they earned about N8 trillion within three to four years and over the same period, they claimed they spent N3.5 trillion and paid to the federation account about N4.1 trillion.
So the cost of running NNPC was as much as the cost of running the federation, both the Federal, State and local governments. So that tells you the amount of primitive stealing that went on. The numbers are mind-boggling. So when we talk of Excess crude, that is just one element.”
He said his grouse with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was that as Coordinating Minister of the Economy, so much sleaze and malfeasance went on under her watch without raising an alarm, saying “she has to come clean. Having accepted the role of the Coordinating Minister, so many things went wrong with the Nigerian economy even to the extent that for the first time in our history, even the Federal Government could not pay salary, they had to borrow. The pension scheme has been drawn down, the social purpose of the pension scheme has now been defeated.
“So first of all we are saying, accept responsibility that you failed to manage the economy properly. Two, you never gave in even when we argued that the economy was in distress she was on record as always saying no, the economy was fine, the economy was strong, we are the largest economy on the continent. Of course, people are not fooled, just revaluing your assets and playing with the numbers. What has changed in the quality of life of the people? You have rebased the economy, have you rebased the quality of life? You haven’t!
“If you claim to have the largest economy, you can’t also plead insolvency at the same time. What we are simply asking her to do is to open the whole book. What the council has asked us to do is, the Committee of Four Governors is to just look at this excess crude thing, and show what went in, who took what, when and who authorized it. So at least we have a basis to start. But I think, going forward, we will need a forensic audit by competent auditors to look at the books so that the whole truth can be known even if we can’t retrieve some of the money but I believe a lot can be retrieved and it is good that we have a basis to identify who is responsible and who to be blamed.
“I think people need to recognize that from my own background, I am never intimidated. As a labor leader, I questioned authority, I interrogated power and the fact of being in government doesn’t give me much comfort as to be indifferent about gross abuse of power and criminal diversion of funds. What should I hate her for? What for? I am not a federal official, I am as privileged as any other governor but I am troubled by people saying one thing in the afternoon and doing another at night.
“People should ask the question, how come each time the issue of corruption and abuse or diversion of funds was raised, Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was the first to defend rather than show concern and have open mind. You remember when the CBN Governor whom you can’t dismiss talked about huge billions of dollars diverted, Ngozi was quick to say no, it is not $20billion, it is only $10.8 billion.
“Even that was offensive to good conscience and then later she said we are going to do forensic audit, NNPC books have not been audited. How could she preside over an economy in which the main player such as NNPC was not, as a matter of course, carrying out annual audit? Why should that happen under her watch? A lot of funds accruing to institutions like NIMASA were diverted. Why should that happen under her watch? Contracts were awarded without any bidding.
“If people say there was too much corruption in Nigeria, who was presiding over the economy? She is not on record as having raised any alarm on abuse of office. So there is nothing personal about it. If anything I consider her a friend but she knows that my friendship is subordinated to the bigger national interest. What do I stand to gain? I could as well play along, keep quiet, be a good guy but I will rather be a good guy to my conscience, not to any body’s face.
“So the truth is, she should answer the questions. She was reported to have said that because she didn’t approve the loan the Governor wanted to take to pay contractors and I said very good, I wanted to borrow money to pay contractors, not to pay workers but she was borrowing money to pay salaries but I have never borrowed money to pay salaries, I am up-to-date with the payment of salaries.
“So I am not grumbling because I am frustrated, I am making a point because that is the truth. She is not entitled to claim an honor that she doesn’t deserve in the face of these huge numbers that cannot be accounted for. I believe the President is quietly doing some works to determine what went wrong in the rot that he inherited, to determine who is responsible for what.
“When these numbers begin to come out, I will expect the minister to explain how she can claim to have been a successful Coordinating Minister of the Economy yet the economy suffered so much bleeding and diversion of funds.
“Here in Washington, everybody is talking about billions of dollars of Nigeria crude money that was taken. How could you supervise an economy, you are cooking the soup, the elephant leg is being stolen and you didn’t raise an alarm. People raised an alarm and you shut them up. So I think Nigerians should move away from sentiments. I have even heard people saying it is ethnic issues. It is the typical Nigerian issue when a public officer has no explanation, he seeks escape route by bringing in sentiments of ethnicity and religion.
“For people like me, that doesn’t disturb me at all. I am a union man, I have always interrogated power and when I was in the NLC, I challenged some of our policies. So she knows where I stand. I would rather be known for something that be known for nothing.
“On the issue of PMB decision to probe the immediate past administration of GEJ, Oshiomhole said, “I don’t think probe is the right word. For a President whose major campaign was hinged on ‘if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us’, it is only natural that he recovers what was stolen and I think it is only patriotic that we do that.
“More also when you inherited huge debts and you will be devoting huge resources to service those debts. If we recovered money from Abacha government even after his death, why should anybody ask questions if indeed he should probe.
“I don’t think it is about probing. Probe means investigating what is not obvious but when you can see a thief stealing and you can arrest him, ask him and recover what has been stolen, that is not probe. Probe is like finding what is not clear, it is so clear that so much money was diverted even we were told we are losing 400 thousand barrels a day. How can that happen? Yes we have always had issues of illegal bunkering but then you talk of 10 thousand or 20 thousand barrels. How can anybody explain 400,000 barrels consistently for 2, 3 consecutive years and incidentally, this is the time that the government gave out contracts to people to protect the pipelines and huge sums of money was paid. So you are asking yourself, how come during the previous government under Yar’Adua, even at the peak of militancy, we didn’t suffer this huge demurrage.
“I think it is not about choice for President Buhari whether or not to recover what has been taken. I think he is obliged to do it in the national interest. I don’t see how he can shy away from it because it is like seeing something stolen from your household and you refuse to recover it; you can see the thief, and sometimes you even can see the stolen goods.
“A lot of stealing went on under President Goodluck Jonathan’s watch, there is no question about that but as for his own personal level of guilt, it is not for me to say. But every President, just like every Governor or Local Government Chairman must accept responsibility for whatever happened under his watch. Leadership is about responsibility.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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This man you must be a stupid man , if you like GEJ has been formal president of Nigeria okay , Is too late for your bad mind , bad brothers . Now let us see your part change ?
ReplyDeleteHaba Oshio. Goodluck this, Okonjo that. Don't you ever get tired or have you run mad. This your character is no longer ordinary. If you devote this your time to attend to the needs of Edo people things would've improved like paying salaries. Whatever you do remember politics & lies will be over someday. Be wise. Not a man in other divides has vilified their brother/sister the way you & Amechi are doing to Jonathan & Okonjo. You can't claim to be more patriotic than some Hausa & Yorubas.
ReplyDeleteMy Governor , I quit apprcte bold frantic eye opening fact. U ar an achiever . But it baffles when truths is spoken about yr dwindling economic ,and their will be hope to tackle this wicked phenomenon called corruption and you hear people that could afford two squares meals saying all manner of rubbish. I don't know when we stop praising looted politicians. I voted for GEJ, believing it the massiah of our time, he failed Nigerian and he needs to apologize. When we see our political leaders coming out to say all this fact , they see and knows the moves of themselves. So he vividly knows what he's saying. For me I will never be in support , for a woman to rule the country .They over do things wrongly or rightly .
Deletel pray in PMB watch GOD will impact in him knowledge to take Nigerian's to the promise land. Cause am sick and tired of billion, trillions without no impact on the masses.
Useless man that looks like Monkey,everyday you come up here with one rubbish and the other
ReplyDeleteThis oshomhole vibration too much. Since dis man marry that Ethiopian woman the vibration dey increase. Him wan show the woman him dey exist for Naija. I no no how i go put the grammer. Let d president be na
ReplyDeleteMr Anonymous, you are too sentimental. Most of the talk was cetered on Okonjo Iweala, you went on to talk of GEJ. You are a big fool. That is why you are limited in your academic pursuit.
ReplyDeleteI am very sure, from your cmment you seems not to have completed your primary (3) three.
You will ever remain so because you change to come your way.
Oshiomhole is doing a hatchet job. As a union man, he knows how to scheme to be relevant. He want repositioning for his desire in the near future.The northerners are wiser, they know who to use when they want to strike targets of other ethnic groups..... Their very own... ask Amaechi, Oby Ekwesilize , Adam oshiomole and all of them because of the carrots dangled before them.! All of their personal greedy ambitions. They can sell heir very own due to a plate of pottage
ReplyDelete
DeleteMallam El-Rufai’s political appointments since he became Governor of Kaduna state have had their best share of controversies. My previous articles have properly documented the intrigues in his appointment of characters like Jimi Lawal, a well-known scammer and fraudster, as Special Assistant on Investment. For time and space, I will not retell those here. His more recent controversial appointment which confirms El-Rufai’s role in the whole Chibok Girls’ saga is his appointment as Chief of Staff Madam Hadiza Bala-Usman, the co-founder of the notorious #BringBackOurGirls group that made things difficult for former President Jonathan. A curious observer is made further confused by the fact that apart from the fact that Ms Hadiza is a known All Progressive Congress (APC) supporter, like Mr Jimi Lawal, she is not from Kaduna. Although, a little bit of clarity may present itself when one finds out that Ms Hadiza did not just start doing hatchet jobs for El-Rufai. As a matter of fact, she stood as El-Rufai’s chief agent during the APC primaries in Kaduna. Any curious observer will immediately see the connection… Ms Hadiza is now being handsomely rewarded for her labour of love and for properly acting out her part of the whole Chibok Girls fiction.
At this point let us introduce another character into our story; Ms Oby Ezekwezili. Having lost her hold on power since her stint with the Obasanjo administration and with no other route into the World Bank’s complex bureaucratic structure, she gladly accepted to play a major role for El-Rufai by joining and ultimately leading the #BringBackOurGirls group. Mind you, being an indigene of Imo state played in her favour. El-Rufai, being a smart man, only made Ms Hadiza the founder and Ms Ezekwezili the convener, so that the group is not seen as a Northern ploy against President Jonathan, a southerner. The role of the former Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals is therefore very clear in that regard. Whoever says el-Rufai is not smart needs to invent another meaning for that word.
Let’s now close the circle: “Madam Due process” as Ms Ezekwezili is sometimes called, understood every word in her job description and knew that no mistakes would be permissible under her new appointment. We are all witnesses to how she did her job well and the attendant drama that followed each speech she gave. She is every day on social media campaigning for the release of the fictitious girls. The matter climaxed in the week to the presidential election when Madam Due process’ voice was loudest. In a typical and predictable way, she suddenly became dumb after General Buhari of the APC was sworn in. No one has heard about Chibok Girls or the notorious group led by Madam ‘Due Process’ ever since, all thanks to Mr. Nobody!
At this point, let us look at some unusual coincidences. Just recently, President Buhari had a scheduled meeting with the notorious #BringBackOurGirls group. Should anyone be surprised it was just after that day that the Boko Haram became bolder. They demanded that the Buhari government negotiate with them. One of the conditions which the government appeared to have accepted now is the release of Boko Haram prisoners for the kidnapped girls. What was El-Rufai and Oby’s response to this?
Rather than focusing on his immediate task of governance, he has been more preoccupied witch-hunting a former minister under the GEJ Administration. Perhaps, someone should help us tell him to stop all this attention-seeking tactics and focus on the more serious business of governance. Is he so bent on outshining his bosses, President Buhari inclusive? Why trying to make the President look inadequate? That still reminds me, why is it every time El-Rufai does something no matter how negligible, he beckons to the press to show off? Are we as a people now celebrating mediocrity in the name of performance?
If truth must be told, it is imperative we probe deeply the true intentions of El-Rufai and his relationship with Oby and the #BringBackOurGirls group.
Na wah
ReplyDeleteSee stupid comments abeg! So all this revelations of atrocities that took place in the country is of no interest to the commentators here! They are still defending GEJ and his ex-cohorts! You will all share in the curse that awaits that man and his ministers; all of you supporting GEJ are hereby cursed from the soil of this earth! And this curse shall manifest in your lifetime and extend to your generations unborn because I can't imagine how any sane human will read the information above and still be sentimental in supporting the madness that is not only affecting me but even yourselves! In your poverty of minds and bodies, you GEJ supporters are cursed to death!
ReplyDeleteWhich "information" above?. You are naive I your reaction. The curse returns to you and your household. A mere allegation without any facts or proofs is what you called information?. As a government in power with accessibility to all records, the best Os him hole can do is to present facts and figures and not hoodwink Un discerning minds like yours wit emotion in statements. State facts and present figures not acting with just the sole aim of discrediting your supposed enemies, that what right thinking Nigerians (and I know you are not one) and demanding. You are a Tinubu vampire
DeleteMr Adams, my questions to you is that are you not part of Jonathan's administration? What's your problem? You are a confirmed political criminal. Allow this people be and face your state. What are your achievement in Edo since you become Governor of that State?
ReplyDeleteMr "go and die" what's your problem sef?you are making so much noise,abeg relax na
ReplyDeleteOur new minister for information and defamation has found a new vocation. He is very impotent in the bedroom to satisfy his new bought wife and instead of consulting CONVACON for solution, he is using the only thing that still works in him -his smelly mouth- to run everybody down. Please let somebody tell this monkey to shut up and allow PMB to work. People like him are distracting the president just because they are trying to please him and avoid jail time as deserved.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for Nigeira, with people talking as if they can't see the truth being told...
ReplyDeleteIs Adam Buhari spoke man. He should like at himself on the mirror and see how he look like before opening his mouth wide to talk.Tell Edo people especially the people of Afokpella what he did for them. he is just there stealing our money marrying underage girls. As he is so his character. Let him go and learn how to talk from the people that have nothing at stack.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteMallam El-Rufai’s political appointments since he became Governor of Kaduna state have had their best share of controversies. My previous articles have properly documented the intrigues in his appointment of characters like Jimi Lawal, a well-known scammer and fraudster, as Special Assistant on Investment. For time and space, I will not retell those here. His more recent controversial appointment which confirms El-Rufai’s role in the whole Chibok Girls’ saga is his appointment as Chief of Staff Madam Hadiza Bala-Usman, the co-founder of the notorious #BringBackOurGirls group that made things difficult for former President Jonathan. A curious observer is made further confused by the fact that apart from the fact that Ms Hadiza is a known All Progressive Congress (APC) supporter, like Mr Jimi Lawal, she is not from Kaduna. Although, a little bit of clarity may present itself when one finds out that Ms Hadiza did not just start doing hatchet jobs for El-Rufai. As a matter of fact, she stood as El-Rufai’s chief agent during the APC primaries in Kaduna. Any curious observer will immediately see the connection… Ms Hadiza is now being handsomely rewarded for her labour of love and for properly acting out her part of the whole Chibok Girls fiction.
At this point let us introduce another character into our story; Ms Oby Ezekwezili. Having lost her hold on power since her stint with the Obasanjo administration and with no other route into the World Bank’s complex bureaucratic structure, she gladly accepted to play a major role for El-Rufai by joining and ultimately leading the #BringBackOurGirls group. Mind you, being an indigene of Imo state played in her favour. El-Rufai, being a smart man, only made Ms Hadiza the founder and Ms Ezekwezili the convener, so that the group is not seen as a Northern ploy against President Jonathan, a southerner. The role of the former Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals is therefore very clear in that regard. Whoever says el-Rufai is not smart needs to invent another meaning for that word.
Let’s now close the circle: “Madam Due process” as Ms Ezekwezili is sometimes called, understood every word in her job description and knew that no mistakes would be permissible under her new appointment. We are all witnesses to how she did her job well and the attendant drama that followed each speech she gave. She is every day on social media campaigning for the release of the fictitious girls. The matter climaxed in the week to the presidential election when Madam Due process’ voice was loudest. In a typical and predictable way, she suddenly became dumb after General Buhari of the APC was sworn in. No one has heard about Chibok Girls or the notorious group led by Madam ‘Due Process’ ever since, all thanks to Mr. Nobody!
At this point, let us look at some unusual coincidences. Just recently, President Buhari had a scheduled meeting with the notorious #BringBackOurGirls group. Should anyone be surprised it was just after that day that the Boko Haram became bolder. They demanded that the Buhari government negotiate with them. One of the conditions which the government appeared to have accepted now is the release of Boko Haram prisoners for the kidnapped girls. What was El-Rufai and Oby’s response to this?
Rather than focusing on his immediate task of governance, he has been more preoccupied witch-hunting a former minister under the GEJ Administration. Perhaps, someone should help us tell him to stop all this attention-seeking tactics and focus on the more serious business of governance. Is he so bent on outshining his bosses, President Buhari inclusive? Why trying to make the President look inadequate? That still reminds me, why is it every time El-Rufai does something no matter how negligible, he beckons to the press to show off? Are we as a people now celebrating mediocrity in the name of performance?
If truth must be told, it is imperative we probe deeply the true intentions of El-Rufai and his relationship with Oby and the #BringBackOurGirls group.
defairmation of peoples profili is part of de change... St Oshomole can you tell Nigerians dat u ar not Worst... dere ar lots of potholes on de roads in Benin and is left unattended .... yet u ar busy talking rubish shame on U
ReplyDeleteMr. Oshiomole, if you have facts about your allegations why not give same to the EFCC and allow the agency do its work.
ReplyDeleteStop this defamation of people's character. Every one is presumed innocent until otherwise proven by the court.
Kindly concentrate on making Edo state work. You will one day soon give us the Edo people account of your stewardship, then we will know how different you are, if really you are. Pls stop the name calling, go and prove it in court.
Thank God that Nigeria still has people like PMB and Governor Oshiomhole. May the good Lord continue to strengthen and uphold then IJN, Amen and Amen.
ReplyDeleteFrom the obviously idiotic comments cum responses by one of the Anonymous contributors, we can see that PDP is now hiring idiots to be distorting our much loved online portals.
It's a pitiful thing that this is how PDP wants to handle the revelations coming out of their misrule of the Nation (especially by the fellow that claimed not to have even one sandal).
PDP and cohorts wrecked the economy of the Nation and all they can try do is raise miscreants to be commenting nonsense in response. May the Lord never forgive everyone one of their individual generations. May all their sins and the sins of their fathers be forever remembered by God.
May the good Lord not only punish but help Nigeria destroy the lineage of every individual either responsible or in any way supporting these shear enemies of Nigeria.