Abuja. May 23, 2016
NEWS RELEASE
“Missing” N30 Trillion: Okonjo-Iweala Rebuts
SERAP, Takes Legal Action
Our attention has been drawn to media
reports regarding a court judgment alleged to have been entered against the
Federal Government of Nigeria and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in respect of an
action by the Socio-Economic Rights Agenda (SERAP) pursuant to the Freedom of
Information Act.
The High Court, according to the media
reports, ordered the Federal government and Dr. Okonjo Iweala to provide
information relating to N30 trillion Naira allegedly unaccounted for.
Please note the following:
- Dr Okonjo-Iweala hastens to state that she
was never served with any court processes in relation to the said matter. She
has not read the judgment and would therefore defer any comments on the matter.
- However from the media reports, the case
was instituted in February 2015 but was not served until July 2015 after Dr
Okonjo-Iweala had already ceased to be the Minister of Finance.
- By the date the said papers were
purportedly served Dr Okonjo-Iweala was no longer a public officer and could
therefore not be the subject of a request for production of any documents or
information under the Freedom of information Act.
- The Court processes must have been served
on others because the attention of Dr Okonjo-Iweala was never drawn to the
matter in which she appears to have been sued personally. She therefore did not
engage any lawyer to act for her in the matter.
- The decision of SERAP to anchor its
case on a baseless and unsubstantiated allegation by former CBN governor,
Professor Charles Soludo that N30 trillion – about seven times the total annual
budget during the Jonathan administration – is missing confirms SERAP’s dubious
motives and its role as a tool for politically motivated actors.
- It is curious that the first time Dr
Okonjo-Iweala is being made aware of a matter filed against her in court is in
news reports reporting the delivery of judgment. She has instructed her lawyers
to take steps to set aside the judgment as it affects her.
Paul C Nwabuikwu
Media Adviser to Dr Okonjo-Iweala
I have asked some of these APC e-rats that how can an individual steal 30trillion Naira. How much is the budget of the Federal Government in 6 years of GEJ? Thanks for this quick response
ReplyDeleteThe Judge that gave that judgement has a mind set of eye service. His over zealousness as well as that of many of our security operatives is worrisome.
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