Okonjo-Iweala Must Apologize to Nigerians for Deceiving Them - SERAP

 

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has mandated former Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to “apologise to Nigerians for claiming recently that recovered Abacha loot was transparently spent while she knew that  $322m (about N63billion) recovered Abacha funds were inappropriately released to finance the fight against Boko Haram.”

 

This call was made in a statement yesterday by SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni after Mrs Okonjo-Iweala’s statement confirmed that she released about $322m to the former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki for military operations.

 

Mumuni said: “The truth about the spending of Abacha loot is now coming out, and it is clear that Mrs Okonjo-Iweala was wrong to accuse SERAP of bias while she knew that we are simply seeking truth, justice and accountability on the spending of recovered Abacha loot.”

“Mrs Okonjo-Iweala’s approach of ‘no answers, no apology’ on how Abacha loot was spent is doing her reputation more harm than good. We hope that she will take cue from the World Bank (her former employer) when it defined ‘accountability and probity’ as knowing what task has been set, accepting to do it, and going about it with a sense of probity. Probity implying the willingness to self-disclose such information to which a specific stakeholder group has a right as well as tolerance of the scrutiny of such a stakeholder group on information to which they have a right,” the organisation said.

 

It will be recalled that the former Minister of Finance, had on Wednesday, confirmed rumours that she transferred $322m (N64.148bn) from the looted funds recovered from Abacha  to the Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, to aid military operations in the North-East.

 

In a statement by her Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, insisted that she secured the approval  of ex-President Jonathan before the fund was transferred. She stressed that the approval followed the recommendation of a committee set-up by former President Jonathan to advise the administration on the way forward.