el-Rufai |
Gbenga Adeniji and Leke Baiyewu with
agency report
Governor of Kaduna State,
Nasir el-Rufai, has told New York Times that associates of an
ex-minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan had approached him to
return the sum of $250 million to the Federal Government.
The money is about N50bn using an average
exchange rate of N200 to a dollar.
The governor, who did not mention the names
of the associates or the name of the ex-minister, said he was not in any
position to handle such matters but would pass across the message to the
appropriate authorities.
In the report published on Friday, the
governor said, “When you say you want to refund, it means you are admitting
that you took what was not yours. ‘I said, ‘I am a governor, I am not involved
in this. I will pass on your message.’’’
The former minister of the Federal Capital
Territory had before the inauguration of the new administration said President
Muhammadu Buhari’ s government would ask corrupt politicians to return every kobo stolen by them.
El-Rufai had told members of the National
Union of Textile Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, who visited him in Kaduna that such politicians must be
ready to return all stolen funds after May 29.
He, however, said those who were not corrupt
had no cause to fear.
El-Rufai said, “We will politely ask those
who stole government money to return the funds. The All Progressives Congress
government is made up of people who are ready to work for the masses and the
betterment of the country.’’
Also, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole,
had in July told State House Correspondents shortly after meeting with
President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that the President’s
delegation during his last trip to the US was told how a minister under
ex-President Jonathan stole $6billion.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that
apart from sending her aides to el-Rufai, the female minister had also
approached some members of the Presidential Advisory Committee against
Corruption and some governors close to President Muhammadu Buhari, offering to
return part of the loot.
Chairman of the committee, Prof. Itse Sagay,
could not be reached on Saturday night as his phone was switched off.
A member of the committee however told our
one of our correspondents that even though the former minister did not approach
him, he was aware that she made such moves.
He said, “I have never met her and she has
never sent anyone to me but I know that she has tried to meet other members of
the committee offering to refund some money. I also learnt that she had tired to
reach President Buhari many times.”
Another reliable source privy to the
activities of the committee, told SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday night that
all the persons the ex-minister met or sent emissaries to refused to accept the
money from her.
The source who spoke on condition of
anonymity said, “She approached the committee members but they refused to take
the money from her. This was shortly before she travelled to the United
Kingdom. Even while in Britain, she has not relented in trying to return some
of the money she was accused of stealing.”
SUNDAY PUNCH further
gathered on Saturday that the ex-minister had written petitions to the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission against some of her former allies.
According to a reliable source at the
commission, the ex-minister learnt that some of her former associates that she
favoured with mouth-watering deals in her ministry were behind her travails.
In retaliation, she reportedly sponsored
petitions against her former allies providing strong evidence against them to
the anti-graft agency.
Following these petitions, one of her former
associates, who is a major player in the oil industry was invited for
questioning two weeks ago while another ally of hers is facing extradition from
Switzerland.
Efforts to reach the Head, Media and Publicity of the
EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, failed on Saturday as his phone was switched off.
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