Falana knocks Okonjo-Iweala, says ex-minister is deceitful

A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has berated the immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, describing her service to Nigeria as one based on lies, deceit and disregard for due process.

The senior advocate said this in a three-page statement on Wednesday while reacting to Okonjo-Iweala’s diatribe against him. Okonjo-Iweala had on Monday described Falana as an ‘integrity-challenged charlatan’ who was being sponsored by corrupt elements.

The former minister had also slammed Falana for attempting to implicate her in the $2.1bn arms scam and drag her before the International Criminal Court.

However, Falana said it was hypocritical of Okonjo-Iweala to attempt to extricate herself from the corruption that characterised the last administration. He said her service record was that of scandals and scams.

He noted that the N2.5tn fuel subsidy scam, the $2bn arms scam, the mismanaged $1bn Gen. Sani Abacha loot and many other episodes of financial impropriety came up under Okonjo-Iweala as finance minister. He, therefore, questioned the former minister’s right to claim innocence.

Falana said anytime Okonjo-Iweala was challenged with hard facts, she resorted to name-calling.

He said, “Her baseless attack is not unusual as she is always quick to deflect criticisms by accusing anyone seeking to hold her to account for her appalling records in government of ulterior political motives.

“When former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, alleged that about N30tn could not be accounted for under her watch, he was described as ‘an embittered loser in the Nigerian political space.’

“When Governor Adams Oshiomhole questioned the illegal withdrawal of $2bn from the Excess Crude Account, he was accused of having animus towards her because she had blocked Edo State from obtaining a loan.

“Therefore, instead of exchanging vulgar abuse with the former minister, I shall respond to the diversionary allegations which lacerated her response and the attempt to extricate herself from the mass looting of the commonwealth under her watch.”

The rights activist said every attempt by Okonjo-Iweala to explain her role in the arms scam had been illogical.

Falana wondered how Okonjo-Iweala could have released the recovered Abacha loot to the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, when she knew that the Seventh Assembly had approved a loan of $1bn for former President Goodluck Jonathan to fight insurgency.

He added, “Whereas the former finance minister had insisted that only $500m was recovered from the Abacha loot, my petition detailed the recovery of $4bn. As she could not challenge my claim, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala now says that the $500m was the amount recovered while she was the minister of finance under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“In making that claim, she did not take cognisance of her recent statement that while she gave out $322m to Dasuki, the sum of $700m had been set aside for development. From her own account, over $1bn was recovered from the loot under the Jonathan regime when she was coordinating the economy.

“Dr. Okonjo-Iweala should have also provided further explanations as to why a substantial part of the Abacha loot was criminally diverted under her watch, especially in the light of her confessional statement that she transferred $322m from the Abacha loot to Dasuki to prosecute the war on terror.”

Falana alleged that the former minister also released £5.5m to Dasuki on a separate occasion and could thus not claim to be ignorant of the scam that took place under her nose.

“Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s excuse that the said $322m was released due to the urgency of the crisis in the North-East is untenable having regard to the fact that former President Jonathan had sought the approval of the National Assembly to take a loan of $1bn to equip the armed forces to fight insurgency.”

Punch