Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan and former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke
are in trouble for allegedly purchasing mobile campaign stages with NNPC
funds during the last electioneering process.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Another scandal has emerged involving the former Nigerian
president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and former petroleum minister,
Diezani Alison-Madueke. They are about to be probed for allegedly
purchasing mobile campaign stages with NNPC funds during the last
electioneering process.
According to a report by The Punch, the ongoing probe recently
beamed its searchlight on the alleged purchase of three mobile stages,
costing $6.9m, by the former President and two of his officials, Gordon
Obuah and Diezani Alison-Madueke.
In a document obtained from a Presidency source, the report
revealed that the deal, which is now a subject of investigation, was
allegedly carried out with funds withdrawn from one of the numerous
accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The $6.9m (about N1.37bn) was said to have been withdrawn for the
purpose of buying three pieces of 40-feet mobile stages for use by
Jonathan during mass public speaking events.
The document further revealed that apart from the incredibly
inflated sum for the stages, there is currently no evidence that the
stages were bought since the money was withdrawn.
"While the cost of mobile stages ranges in sizes 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 superstars would not pay over $2m per stage," according to industry sources.
"The process of procurement of the three mobile stages was
neither known to extant Nigerian laws and due process regulations nor
were the offices of the Auditor-General and the Accountant-General in
the know, according to the investigators," the document read in parts.
It further added that the phony purchase was carried out late 2011
when Jonathan’s CSO was said to have initiated a memo to the former
President on October 17, 2011, asking for the purchase of three mobile
stages.
He was reported to have written in that memo to Jonathan that memo referred to “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.”
The Presidency source said on the same day, without any financial
advice or purchase order reviews, the former President approved the
request to buy the three stages and minuted the memo to the then
Minister for Petroleum Resources.
In his minute, Jonathan was said to have written, “We have discussed this, please deal.”
According to the document, on the same October 17, the Senior
Special Assistant to the President on Administrative Matters, Mr. Matt
Aikhionbere, did another letter on the strength of the President’s
approval requesting the minister to take action on the request to
purchase the stages for $6.9m.
It added, “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 said
was registered by Obuah.
“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 write requesting for the stages, an
action which officials said was way above his pay grade.”
The document added that it was not the duty or responsibility of
the CSO to make the determination on that purchase as he was meant to
have informed the service, which will then review the situation and act
accordingly.
It added that the $6.9miilion in question was promptly paid on Nov. 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 bypassing the Procurement Act; neither
was there an appropriation in the 2011 budget for such facility,” the document quoted investigators as saying.
It added that neither the then Minister of Finance nor the Director-General of the Budget Office was aware of the deal.
“Investigators say this is just one of the several instances,
where the Jonathan administration used secret NNPC accounts to fund many
questionable projects and for alleged personal financial
aggrandisement.
“Already, the CSO has been questioned over his role and
activities in the Jonathan Presidency. It will be recalled that he was
arrested, detained, questioned and later released."