Okonjo-Iweala Must Be Prosecuted – Oshiomhole

Okonjo-Iweala Must Be Prosecuted – Oshiomhole
Abdulkareem Haruna, Bayo Oladeji, By George Agba, Edegbe Odemwingie
— Dec 2, 2015 5:04 am | Leave a comment
Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole has urged the federal government to also prosecute former President Goodluck Jonathan and immediate past finance minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for approving spending of funds from the excess crude account without appropriation by the National Assembly.
This is just as the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) yesterday arrested the former national security adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) quizzed former Sokoto State governor Attahiru Bafarawa, and chairman, Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi   in connection with the on-going arms deal investigation.
According to the governor, Jonathan and the former minister should be made to face law since it had been established that they made approvals for which billions of dollars released for the procurement of arms for counter-terrorism operations under Jonathan.
LEADERSHIP recalls that former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) had admitted receiving an extra-budgetary allocation of $2.1 billion from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) within nine months after approvals by former President Jonathan.
In an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP, Oshiomhole insisted that both Jonathan and Okonjo-Iweala must face prosecution because the Nigerian constitution does not empower the president to spend money not appropriated by the National Assembly.
“The issue is whether the Nigerian President under the constitution has the power to approve funds belonging to local, state and federal government- funds that have not been appropriated by the National Assembly. That is a criminal offense for which Okonjo-Iweala ought to face criminal prosecution. These things are just discussed and wished away. For me, I will stick for the truth and don’t care what people will say”, he stated.
Quoting the Money Laundering Act which stipulates that if one takes cash in excess of N5 million transaction, it is money laundering and it is criminal, the governor urged the federal government not to prosecute Dasuki without the former president and Okonjo-Iweala.
His words, “Talking about revelation, look at the letter credited to Dasuki – the immediate past National Security Adviser. In his defence which I read in your paper, he seems to admit that money was spent but it was approved by the President. Does the Nigerian constitution empower the President to spend money which has not been appropriated by the National Assembly? And they took cash from the CBN. The Money Laundering Act says if you take cash in excess of N5 million transaction, it is money laundering and it is criminal.
“So, by Dasuki’s letter, he has also confirmed that Okonjo-Iweala is a privy to spending money never appropriated and therefore criminal, and that cash were being moved contrary to the money laundering act. Just using Dasuki’s own defence, you can see a case of conspiracy has been established between Dasuki, Okonjo-Iweala and all those involved in that transaction,” Oshiomhole submitted.