The N15 billion seized
by EFCC operatives in Lagos last week was part of the monies
channelled by ex-president Goodluck Jonathan through the National
Intelligence Agency (NIA) for his party’s 2015 campaigns, a retired employee of
the agency told the Daily Trust yesterday.
Ibrahim
Ibrahim, who retired from the NIA 2006 as deputy director, said though Jonathan
approved the monies to be distributed to PDP chieftains, the embattled
Director-General of the agency, Ayo Oke did not do so for unknown reason.
“A
lot of things have happened; a lot of public officers have actually drifted
away from the disciplined course and as a result so many things have happened.
The NIA is not an exception at all,” Ibrahim said.
“I
think what really happened was that the money was issued to the agency (NIA)
just in the same way it was given to the NSAs office.
“President
Jonathan approved $289 million or so in November 2014 in excess of the approved
budget of the agency.
“So,
that excess was intended as campaign funds and the agency, the DG NIA in
particular, was supposed to disburse the fund but along the way, he found a way
of diverting even that one for his own private use,” Ibrahim said.
When asked why campaign
funds should be channelled through the NIA, Ibrahim, who worked closely with
Oke before he retired, said, “As I mentioned, it was intended as campaign funds
and it was diverted the way money was given to NSA Dasuki that was the same way
it was given to Ayo Oke. It was not meant specifically for the operations of
the agency but a kind of money laundering for the agency to launder the money
for PDP chieftains.
“I
think they saw that security agencies are a kind of perfect means through which
money laundering for such purposes could be done because it is simply to say
the money is for operations,” he said.
On
whether it was normal during his days in the NIA to keep monies for covert
operations in private buildings, he said, “It’s abnormal; it’s a total lie.
There’s no way any operation would be approved and then it would not be
conducted in more than two years. As I said, this money was approved in
November 2014 and we’re now in April 2017-two years plus! It’s not
normal.
“Certainly
President Jonathan approved some money to be laundered through the agency for
campaign purposes but he did it as if he was giving the agency
allocation of funds for their operations and he did it in excess
of their budget,” he said.
-Daily Trust
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