Former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has reacted to the call by Senior Advocate of Nigeria
and human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana for her arrest and prosecution at the International Criminal Court, ICC,
Responding through her Media Adviser, Paul Nwabuikwu, the
former minister described Falana's attempt to link her to the $2.1
billion arms deal, as a desperate joke by an integrity challenged
charlatan (ICC) and called on Nigerians not give in
to Falana’s self-imposed Chronic Cerebral Amnesia (CCA). Okonjo-Iweala described Falana as a tool for corrupt
elements whose interests were hurt by the work she did in
fighting corruption while she was in office. The statement after the cut...
The
malicious attempt by Lagos Lawyer, Femi Falana to mix Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala up in issues that have nothing to do with her in his
letter to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a desperate joke by
an integrity challenged charlatan (ICC).
This misadventure shows that the so-called learned lawyer does not have any idea of what the mandate of the ICC is about.
He
has resorted to this action because his previous efforts to tarnish her
name - through his discredited NGO, SERAP and petitions to the EFCC –
failed because they were lacking in credibility.
This
latest effort to try to attach her name falsely confirms that Femi
Falana is nothing but a tool of corrupt elements whose interests were
hurt by the work Dr. Okonjo-Iweala did in fighting corruption while she
was in office.
These
elements have now made a habit of making false allegations against Dr
Okonjo-Iweala whenever she receives any national or international
recognition for her work. The pattern is clear and Nigerians should be
alert to it. But Dr Okonjo-Iweala will not be intimidated from going on
with her life and performing her duties. She will not give in to
cowardly and unmanly bullying.
Falana’s
latest attempt to implicate Dr Okonjo-Iweala falsely suggests that he
is suffering from an ailment that may be described as Chronic Cerebral
Amnesia (CCA) because he simply has no grasp of the facts.
Here are the facts:
FACT NO 1: OKONJO-IWEALA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE $2.1 BILLION ARMS CONTROVERSY
Contrary
to Falana’s lies, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has absolutely nothing to do with
the alleged misuse of $2.1billion by the office of the former National
Security Adviser. Falana and his sponsors are simply trying to invent a
connection where there is none.
The
January 20, 2015 memo in which Dr Okonjo-Iweala sought and received the
approval of former President Jonathan for the release of part of the
newly returned Abacha funds to the NSA for purchase of arms is totally
separate from the $2.1 billion issue.
The
memo which is now in the public domain speaks for itself. The release
of the resources was in response to an approval by the former President
following a meeting chaired by him after a committee had considered the
request.
The
memo clearly documented Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s insistence that the proper
procedure be followed, subject to appropriation and according to
financial regulations. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala went further to state that the
former NSA should account for the funds to the former President since
she is not a member of the Security Council. The attempt to link
Okonjo-Iweala to the $2.1billion issue is therefore dead on arrival.
FACT NO 2: OKONJO-IWEALA WAS NOT IN GOVERNMENT WHEN MOST OF THE ABACHA FUNDS WERE RECOVERED
Falana
and his sponsors have claimed that billions of dollars of Abacha funds
were recovered and that Dr Okonjo-Iweala should account for the
recovered funds.
The
fact is that some of the funds recovery was done under the regime of
General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the first term of President Olusegun
Obasanjo when Dr Okonjo-Iweala was not even in government.
During
the time Dr Okonjo-Iweala was Finance Minister in the second Obasanjo
administration, $500m was recovered. As documented by the Field Study
conducted by the World Bank with the assistance of national and
international NGOs, this amount was properly applied.
Falana’s
insistence on the contrary shows how despicable he is and how he is
ready to ignore facts and concoct a fiction in the service of his
sponsors.
FACT 3: OKONJO-IWEALA LEFT STRONG LEGACIES AS A CHAMPION OF TRANSPARENCY AND THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION WHILE IN GOVERNMENT
It
is on record that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala championed transparency and
vigorously fought corruption during her two terms as Minister. Among
other actions, starting from the second Obasanjo administration, she,
for the first time in Nigeria’s history, published monthly revenue
allocations to all tiers of government for Nigerians to see.
While
serving in the Obasanjo administration, she requested the assistance of
the World Bank and DFID, the UK’s development agency to build
institutions and systems that could block leakages from the treasury.
This work stalled after she left office in 2006. In August 2011 when she
returned under the Jonathan government, with the assistance of the
Ministry of Finance Team, she re-invigorated the establishment and use
of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Management Systems (IPPIS), the
Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) and the
Treasury Single Account (TSA), all of which saved the country billions
of naira by drastically reducing avenues for corruption in the public
service. These facts are well documented in successive World Bank, DFID
and IMF Article 4 Reports.
It
is gratifying that the present government has adopted and is further
building on these systems for the benefit of the country.
FACT NO 4: DR. OKONJO-IWEALA’S MOTHER WAS KIDNAPPED AND ALMOST KILLED BECAUSE OF THE FORMER MINISTER’S STANCE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Falana
is callous beyond belief for ignoring a fact of recent Nigerian
history: the kidnap of Professor Kamene Okonjo, the then 83 year old
mother of Dr Okonjo-Iweala by agents of fuel subsidy fraudsters who were
angry that the former Minister had blocked them from defrauding the
country further.
The
kidnappers had told the traumatised old woman that they were sent to
punish Okonjo-Iweala for refusing to pay some oil marketers. It is on
record with the State Security Services that the kidnappers initially
demanded the resignation of Dr Okonjo-Iweala in return for the release
of her mother. Thank God Professor Okonjo is still alive to tell her
story today and she will not be silenced.
It
is extremely insensitive and, in fact, inhumane for Falana and his
sponsors to level false accusations against someone like Dr
Okonjo-Iweala who went through this kind of searing personal ordeal for
her principled fight against corruption.
CONCLUSION
Falana’s
attempt to implicate Dr Okonjo-Iweala falsely is a disservice to law,
justice and the image of the country. It is sad that a person who had
earned some prominence as a human rights lawyer now tramples on the
human rights of others as a political jobber.
He
and his sponsors are engaged in nothing but media harassment, cyber
bullying and intimidation against innocent persons like Dr Okonjo-Iweala
for political and pecuniary gain. That is why Nigerians should not give
in to Falana’s self-imposed Chronic Cerebral Amnesia (CCA).
Paul C Nwabuikwu
Media Adviser to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
