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
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