Buhari unaware millions of dollars stolen under him – former cabinet member
While he was Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari was oblivious to the stealing of $6.2 millions from the Central Bank’s vault, former secretary to the government of the federation Boss Mustapha told a federal court hearing corruption charges against Godwin Emefiele.
The government is accusing Emefiele and some others of forging the signatures of the president and Mustapha to get approval for the release of the said money. He had claimed in a memo he directed that the money was meant for the payment of foreign election observers.
Standing as a witness in the ongoing trial of Emefiele,
Mustapha said, “All through my service year as the SGF, I never came across these documents claimed to have been signed by Buhari.”
He expatiated his claim by stating that “a correspondence that has the seal of the Nigerian President does not carry a reference number. The seal is the authority.”
He added, “Secondly, I have looked at it and read the document. FEC decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.
“Thirdly, I am the custodian of FEC; the President will not refer executives’ conclusions to me.
“Also, in all the five years and seven months, I never heard of the terms ‘special appropriation provision’ referred to. The term known to me, My Lord, is ‘appropriation’ as provided by the Appropriation Act normally passed by the National Assembly and when the government finds a gap it brings supplementary appropriation.
“In all the correspondence I have received from Buhari, it has never had ‘please accept the assurance of my highest regard’. I am his subordinate, my correspondences do not carry that.
“And lastly, looking at the signature, it is a failed attempt at reproducing Buhari’s signature. I will leave that to the experts.”
TheCornet learned that the Interpol is on the trail of three persons connected to the alleged heist.
A report had revealed their names as a staff of the CBN, Odoh Eric Ocheme; Adamu Abubakar, and Imam Abubakar. The three of them are said to be at large.
Based on its investigation into the matter, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has also declared wanted Emefiele’s wife, Margret, and two others who are said to have benefitted from the mismanagement of public funds through contract awards.
