Indications emerged yesterday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) is closing in on some former Presidential aides, including those of ex-Vice-President Namadi Sambo, in its ongoing probe of $2.1billion arms cash.
Also, some contractors who handled projects under the late National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoye Azazi, have been invited for questioning by the EFCC.
It was also learnt that there is a manhunt for a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Adamu Mu’azu, who was central to the disbursement of funds to party leaders.
A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are closing in on a few presidential aides, including some of those who served ex-VP Namadi Sambo on their involvement in the arms cash bazaar.
“We have invited some contractors who handled a few projects when Gen. Owoye Azazi was in charge for questioning too.
“The situation is messy and unfortunate but we will get to the bottom of it and recover public funds.”
It was gathered that Muazu’s whereabouts was unknown.
Muazu was said to be central to the disbursement of funds to six chairmen of the Contact and Mobilisation Committees for the geopolitical zones.
The coordinators were Bode George, Jim Nwobodo, Yerima Abdullahi, Ahmadu Ali, Attahiru Bafarawa and Peter Odili.
Although a former Minister of State for Finance, Amb. Bashir Yuguda exposed the disbursement of the funds to the six coordinators, some of them denied knowing or meeting the ex-minister.
They said they got their shares from Muazu, who has been abroad since he stepped down as the PDP chair.
Fresh facts have revealed that the deal between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chief Olu Falae-led Social Democratic Party (SDP) bordered on six issues.
Falae has admitted collecting N100million as part of the deal.
It was learnt that the SDP raised six issues before it could support the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan in last year’s presidential election.
A letter by Chief Tony Anenih, who was then Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), dated January 26, 2015, confirmed the claim by the National Chairman of the SDP, Chief Olu Falae, that there was inter-party cooperation between the PDP and the SDP to support Jonathan’s presidential ambition.
Anenih’s letter had clearly responded to the six issues, thus paving the way for the PDP-SDP working cooperation.
The letter, entitled: “Inter-Party Co-operation” and signed by Anenih in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP reads: “I write to sincerely thank you for your letter dated January 23,2015, on the above subject matter.
“After due consultations with relevant stakeholders of our party, I am pleased to convey to you our decisions on the issues and to further inform you that the President and the leadership of our party have expressed delight and strong optimism to fully cooperate and work with the SDP in the circumstance.
”Please be assured that the report of the National Conference will be implemented to the letter.
“We believe that having regards to the fact that the National Conference was a baby of the President, he is in a better position to implement it. And this is what he is doing.
”There is no doubt that our party, the PDP and your party, the SDP, are on the same page on this issue.
“Apart from the fact that this administration has done more arrests, investigations, prosecutions and convictions of corrupt cases, the President has continuously laid emphasis on the need to develop an appropriate technology to comprehensively combat corruption and its vices.
“The approach, for example, has produced immense results in eliminating corruption that was associated with the distribution of fertilizers in Nigeria in the past.”
“It is the primary duty of Government to protect the lives and property of its citizens and secure the territorial integrity of the nation.
“Terrorism has become a global phenomenon and fighting it requires the co-operation of not just the entire citizens but the support of the international community. The President is working on this.
”This is certainly a primary focus of this Administration considering the various programmes designed and implemented since 2011; programmes such as SURE-P, YouWin, Agricultural and Industrial transformation, including the railways that have generated massive employment opportunities for Nigerians. The President intends to sustain the tempo and improve on existing records.”
“This is an area that the President is not only ready to give a critical look at but he is also prepared to welcome new ideas and positive contributions from leaders of the SDP.”
The sixth issue, which dwelled on “participation of SDP in the PDP Government”, he responded thus: “Please be assured that the SDP will be considered as worthy participant in the Government and will be adequately consulted in this regards.”
Anenih said in the letter that former President Jonathan requested for his account detail for reimbursement of the money that he spent on some political assignments he (Jonathan) gave to him and was therefore not in a position to know which office his account details would be sent for reimbursement.
He was also said to have stated in the letter that he spent over N440 million of his personal money, which the N260 million paid into his account could not defray.
The trio of Falae, Yakassai and Ladoja have already confirmed that they received N100 million, N63 million and N100 million respectively from Anenih for purposes specified in his letter.
$2.1 Arms Deal: EFCC closes in on Ex-Vice President, Namadi Sambo
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