A
new allegation has been made against ex President Goodluck Jonathan as
the trial of those involved in the arms deal scandal, continues.
Goodluck Jonathan
Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former Executive Director of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has informed a High Court of the
Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that the immediate past President,
Goodluck Jonathan spent over N2.2billion on prayers against Boko Haram.
According to Daily Post, Baba-Kusa said Jonathan spent the huge
amount on special prayers in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in his bid to
ouster insurgency, adding that the disbursement was through the Office
of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.
The former Executive Director of NNPC who is standing trial
alongside the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki
(rtd) in relation to the diversion of funds meant for the procurement
of arms made the disclosure in his statement of witness filed before the
court.
Baba-Kusa in the statement said the money was released in two tranches of N1,450,000,000 and N750,000,000.
Baba-Kusa said, “I approached the former NSA and discussed Boko
Haram problems and I suggested there is need for prayers and he
considered and accepted in 2013 when he first came to office.
“I personally sponsored many people locally and some few to
Saudi Arabia. Some monies were later paid into our companies, which we
paid to some of the mallams.
“I then arranged to recover my personal expense which I put into our own businesses.
“We have been spending a lot from our businesses and personal
accounts. Money paid through UBA, First Bank and ECOBANK. For Acacia
Holdings Limited(A/C 1017330319-UBA); ECOBANK(0122012650); and First
Bank(Reliance Referral Hospitals Limited A/C 2022394057). The total
amount is N2,200,000,000 from October 2014 to April 2015.”
He added, “I used some of the mallams to organise in Abuja,
Zaria, Kano, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Kaduna and Saudi Arabia covering 2013 to
2015.”
“I give them funds as required from time to time, ranging from
N500,000 to N30million, depending on their needs, traveling, sadaqat and
others for local expenses and travels to Saudi Arabia for Umrah and
Hajj.
“I reminded the NSA many times before payments were made. We grew up together with the former NSA with common friends in ABU.
“Most of the payments in cash were meant to give out cash to
people that have been organizing prayers. Some transfers to Acacia to
other banks were for logistics and also to some mallams in cash.”
Baba-Kusa who noted that the prayer contract was not documented stressed that the contract proposal was verbal.
“The proposal made to the former NSA was not documented by him
or myself. The verbal proposal to him was for prayers to overcome Boko
Haram within the shortest possible time.
“The engagement for prayers by organizing some people to be praying was not formally written down.
“There was no amount of money agreed on. I said to him, I will
start organizing, which he agreed and said he will see what he would
give at a later time,” he said.
