National Security Adviser Archives - PURE ENTERTAINMENT

NSA inaugurates Cancer screening centre in Maiduguri

tvceadmin — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 10:46:58 +0000

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno has inaugurated a Cancer Screening Centre in Maiduguri, the Borno State
Capital.

The Cancer Screening Centre, the first of its kind in Nigeria’s North east, is the brainchild of the chief of the Nigerian Air staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, who fulfilled a promise he made months ago to build the Centre.

The centre which boasts of state of the art equipment, will provide succour for cancer sufferers, who would no longer need to travel long distances for screening.

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Court denies Metuh’s bid to invite Dasuki as witness

tvceadmin — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 12:04:55 +0000

A Federal High Court in Abuja has turned down Olisa Metuh’s application to compel former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, to testify in his defense.

Justice Okon Abang dismissed the application for lacking merit as there was no evidence to show that Metuh had applied to the Department of State Services to bring Dasuki to stand as a witness.

The court also declined Metuh’s request to allow him go to the United Kingdom for eight weeks of medical treatment.

Metuh, a former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party is facing trial for an alleged diversion of N400 million he allegedly received from the office of the former NSA.

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$2.1bn Arms deal: Obanikoro, two sons on radar

tvceadmin — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 08:11:43 +0000

Economic and Financial crimes Commission, EFCC

TVC E, NEWS – Former Defence minister, Musiliu Obanikoro and two of his sons may soon be invited for questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the anti-graft agency uncovered about N4.745 billion curious transfers made into the account of two of the ex-minister’s sons.

The sons are Babajide and Gbolahan, who are both directors of the company used in siphoning the funds.

The suspicious funds were said to have been paid into the account of the ex-minister’s children by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Reliable sources in the anti-graft agency, who spoke in confidence, said the N4.8 billion was paid in tranches.

One of the sources said: “Two sons of former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, Babajide and Gbolahan, are currently on the radar of the EFCC. About N4,745,000,000.00 was traced to a company, Sylvan McNamara Limited, in which they have interest.

“The money was allegedly paid in several tranches into the company’s account number: 0026223714 with Diamond Bank from the Office of the National Security Adviser account with the CBN.”

Another source said there were strong indications that the funds were used to prosecute the governorship polls for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti and Osun states.

Obanikoro, who is already holed up in the United States, was central to the coordination of the governorship poll in Ekiti and Osun states, including alleged abuse of deployment of troops.

It was also learnt that a former Accountant-General is also on the radar of the EFCC, being one of the beneficiaries of another set of slush funds used for PDP’s campaign in the South-West.

All the slush funds were drawn from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

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Femi Falana is an Integrity challenged charlatan – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

tvceadmin — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 23:04:01 +0000

TVC NEWS: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Former Minister of Finance, has described the call by Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights lawyer, for her and others implicated in the arms deal scandal to be tried at the International Criminal Court, ICC, as a desperate joke by an integrity challenged charlatan and called on Nigerians not give in to Falana’s self-imposed Chronic Cerebral Amnesia (CCA).

Paul Nwabuikwu ,Okonjo-Iweala’s Media Adviser described Falana as a tool for corrupt elements whose interests were hurt by the work Dr. Okonjo-Iweala did in fighting corruption while she was in office.

Read the statement below.

The malicious attempt by Lagos Lawyer, Femi Falana to mix Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala up in issues that have nothing to do with her in his letter to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a desperate joke by an integrity challenged charlatan (ICC).

This misadventure shows that the so-called learned lawyer does not have any idea of what the mandate of the ICC is about.

He has resorted to this action because his previous efforts to tarnish her name – through his discredited NGO, SERAP and petitions to the EFCC – failed because they were lacking in credibility.

This latest effort to try to attach her name falsely confirms that Femi Falana is nothing but a tool of corrupt elements whose interests were hurt by the work Dr. Okonjo-Iweala did in fighting corruption while she was in office.

These elements have now made a habit of making false allegations against Dr Okonjo-Iweala whenever she receives any national or international recognition for her work. The pattern is clear and Nigerians should be alert to it. But Dr Okonjo-Iweala will not be intimidated from going on with her life and performing her duties. She will not give in to cowardly and unmanly bullying.

Falana’s latest attempt to implicate Dr Okonjo-Iweala falsely suggests that he is suffering from an ailment that may be described as Chronic Cerebral Amnesia (CCA) because he simply has no grasp of the facts.

Here are the facts:

FACT NO 1: OKONJO-IWEALA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE $2.1 BILLION ARMS CONTROVERSY

Contrary to Falana’s lies, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has absolutely nothing to do with the alleged misuse of $2.1billion by the office of the former National Security Adviser. Falana and his sponsors are simply trying to invent a connection where there is none.

The January 20, 2015 memo in which Dr Okonjo-Iweala sought and received the approval of former President Jonathan for the release of part of the newly returned Abacha funds to the NSA for purchase of arms is totally separate from the $2.1 billion issue.

The memo which is now in the public domain speaks for itself. The release of the resources was in response to an approval by the former President following a meeting chaired by him after a committee had considered the request.

The memo clearly documented Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s insistence that the proper procedure be followed, subject to appropriation and according to financial regulations. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala went further to state that the former NSA should account for the funds to the former President since she is not a member of the Security Council. The attempt to link Okonjo-Iweala to the $2.1billion issue is therefore dead on arrival.

FACT NO 2: OKONJO-IWEALA WAS NOT IN GOVERNMENT WHEN MOST OF THE ABACHA FUNDS WERE RECOVERED

Falana and his sponsors have claimed that billions of dollars of Abacha funds were recovered and that Dr Okonjo-Iweala should account for the recovered funds.

The fact is that some of the funds recovery was done under the regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo when Dr Okonjo-Iweala was not even in government.

During the time Dr Okonjo-Iweala was Finance Minister in the second Obasanjo administration, $500m was recovered. As documented by the Field Study conducted by the World Bank with the assistance of national and international NGOs, this amount was properly applied.

Falana’s insistence on the contrary shows how despicable he is and how he is ready to ignore facts and concoct a fiction in the service of his sponsors.

FACT 3: OKONJO-IWEALA LEFT STRONG LEGACIES AS A CHAMPION OF TRANSPARENCY AND THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION WHILE IN GOVERNMENT

It is on record that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala championed transparency and vigorously fought corruption during her two terms as Minister. Among other actions, starting from the second Obasanjo administration, she, for the first time in Nigeria’s history, published monthly revenue allocations to all tiers of government for Nigerians to see.

While serving in the Obasanjo administration, she requested the assistance of the World Bank and DFID, the UK’s development agency to build institutions and systems that could block leakages from the treasury. This work stalled after she left office in 2006. In August 2011 when she returned under the Jonathan government, with the assistance of the Ministry of Finance Team, she re-invigorated the establishment and use of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Management Systems (IPPIS), the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) and the Treasury Single Account (TSA), all of which saved the country billions of naira by drastically reducing avenues for corruption in the public service. These facts are well documented in successive World Bank, DFID and IMF Article 4 Reports.

It is gratifying that the present government has adopted and is further building on these systems for the benefit of the country.

FACT NO 4: DR. OKONJO-IWEALA’S MOTHER WAS KIDNAPPED AND ALMOST KILLED BECAUSE OF THE FORMER MINISTER’S STANCE AGAINST CORRUPTION

Falana is callous beyond belief for ignoring a fact of recent Nigerian history: the kidnap of Professor Kamene Okonjo, the then 83 year old mother of Dr Okonjo-Iweala by agents of fuel subsidy fraudsters who were angry that the former Minister had blocked them from defrauding the country further.

The kidnappers had told the traumatized old woman that they were sent to punish Okonjo-Iweala for refusing to pay some oil marketers. It is on record with the State Security Services that the kidnappers initially demanded the resignation of Dr Okonjo-Iweala in return for the release of her mother. Thank God Professor Okonjo is still alive to tell her story today and she will not be silenced.

It is extremely insensitive and, in fact, inhumane for Falana and his sponsors to level false accusations against someone like Dr Okonjo-Iweala who went through this kind of searing personal ordeal for her principled fight against corruption.

CONCLUSION

Falana’s attempt to implicate Dr Okonjo-Iweala falsely is a disservice to law, justice and the image of the country. It is sad that a person who had earned some prominence as a human rights lawyer now tramples on the human rights of others as a political jobber.

He and his sponsors are engaged in nothing but media harassment, cyber bullying and intimidation against innocent persons like Dr Okonjo-Iweala for political and pecuniary gain. That is why Nigerians should not give in to Falana’s self-imposed Chronic Cerebral Amnesia (CCA).

Paul C Nwabuikwu
Media Adviser to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

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We Won’t Provide Sureties For Metuh –Jalo PDP Leader

tvceadmin — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 23:20:59 +0000

The PDP national leader, Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo, has said, it would be wrong for anyone to be expecting the party to provide sureties for Metuh when the party did not benefit from the money he allegedly collected from the former National Security Adviser, Lt Col. Sabo Dasuki (retd.).

Though Metuh said he actually collected the money, he said it was for a job he did for former President Goodluck Jonathan, facing charges for allegedly collecting N400m from Dasuki, an offence the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission described as money laundering.

He is also being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly tearing the statement he made to the commission while under interrogation.

The PDP spokesperson has denied both offences, and he is currently being remanded in Kuje Prisons, Abuja, by two different courts pending the time he would meet the bail conditions.

There were anxieties on how he would meet the conditions in order to ease his release from the prisons.

Jalo, however, said the party would not be involved in the search for the sureties.

He said, “Metuh didn’t represent the party in the alleged crimes he’s being prosecuted. The party didn’t benefit from the alleged crime.

“So, he is going to look for sureties himself. We won’t be involved. He would carry his own cross alone, without the party being involved.”

However, the National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr. Victor Kwon, said friends and associates Metuh were “doing everything possible to get the sureties” as demanded by the courts.

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Former NSA Dasuki files new application to stop trial

tvceadmin — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 05:14:04 +0000

TVCE (ABUJA) -The embattled former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), has filed a fresh application to stop his trial for charges of alleged diversion of about $2.1bn, part of funds meant for procurement of arms, before Justice Baba Yusuf of a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

The judge, however, on Thursday, fixed Friday (today) for the commencement of trial of Dasuki and his other co-accused.

It would be recalled that former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, and a former Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Aminu Baba-Kusa were on December 14, 2015 arraigned on 19 count- charge with Dasuki.

Aminu-Kausa’s two firms – Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited – are also part of the accused.

Although it could not be ascertained whether the judge would be willing to take the fresh application filed by Dasuki on Friday (today), provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 which is the law guiding criminal proceedings prohibits the hearing of any interlocutory application aimed at halting a criminal trial.

The new law in its sections 306 and 396 stipulate that such interlocutory applications having to do with the merit of the charges filed should only be considered at the stage when the substantive issue in the case is being addressed.

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