THE UNTOLD: Looted Fund, Actually What Obasanjo, Buhari Discussed In Secret Aso Rock Meeting

The former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s visit to Aso Villa recently where he held a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari may not be unconnected with issues concerning the looted funds and how to go about them particularly the already recovered ones, National Weekender scooped reliably

Obasanjo was in the presidency to suggest to Buhari on how to go about the recovered loots of top government functionaries of the immediate past administration and of course that of Late Gen. Sani Abacha’s which the former’s administration rigorously tried to recover between 1999 and 2007 when it left office.

Recall that President Buhari in his last visit to the Untied States of America pleaded with the Secretary of State John Kerry to help Nigeria in recovering the looted funds especially from the officials of the immediate past administration since most of the looted funds have links with the US government. Kerry in his response pledged to do something and revealed that over $600b of the looted funds is in America.

National Weekender learnt that the United States has given Buhari a green light on the recovery plans following Buhari’s plea during his last visit where he told American government that the loots if recovered will go a long way in helping his administration to revive the dwindling economy which is almost grounded by the present fuel scarcity.

“There is a green light from America that the looted funds may soon be on its way back to Nigeria and that appears to be the major reason why Baba had to visit His Excellency to suggest how to go about the process of getting the funds,” stated our impeccable Aso Villa source.

Recall that Obasanjo has had war of words with former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala over the actual amount the Obasanjo administration recovered before leaving office. The former President told the media that his administration recovered a whopping $500m but Okonjo-Iweala in the wake of the corruption allegation against the administration of Goodluck Jonathan which she served in denied the claim saying that it was $200m that was recovered from the Abacha loot which the Swiss government helped to facilitate and forward to Nigeria.

Our source added that, “there are a lot of issues tied around the looted funds. That of Late former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha has not been totally recovered despite the commitment by Obasanjo’s administration. It is imperative that Nigerians know how much was recovered so far and what is coming in at the moment. The total figure must be made public by this administration and to say that Obasanjo is important in the whole exercise to an understatement. There is also the loots of some greedy officials of the immediate past administration who through their nefarious acts almost crippled the nation’s economy.

“With the assistance of the American government we will get to the point whereby Nigerians will know the bad eggs who wanted to destroy our country by their uncontrollable love for public money. This administration is bent on doing the right thing and it does not matter how tough the battle is we will get things fixed. As soon as the looted funds starts coming in following the signal from the United States, things will take new dimensions and Nigerians will feel the impact.”

Fuel Subsidy FRAUDULENT Indeed - Okonjo-Iweala Reveals At Last; Says 'Cabals' Kidnapped Her Mother Over It

Former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said her 83-year-old mother was kidnapped because she advised former President Goodluck Jonathan to remove fuel subsidy.

Sation.

When asked what her failures and successes in the fight against corruption were, Okonjo-Iweala said: “Your answer would take a whole day.

“On my first experience as minister, I wrote a book, Reforming the Unreformable (ed) The MIT Press, 2012). For the second, it was really difficult. Nigeria subsidises fuel. About $ 6.7 billion that it costs, we found that 1.5 billion was fraudulent.

“One importer claimed that his boat was waging its oil while at the other end of the world, according to maritime classification society Lloyd’s Register Marine.

“I told the president that we would stop paying. What happened? They kidnapped my mother, 83 years. During the first three days, their only demand was my resignation. I was supposed to go on television and announce my resignation.

“This was one of the worst moments of my life. Can you imagine what happens in your head if you have to be responsible for the death of your mother?

“I will not go into details, but you must understand that in a country like this… in the fight against corruption, we must be prepared to pay a personal price. My father asked me not to resign. The president asked me not to resign. At the end, everyone began looking for her, and the kidnappers released (her).”

Speaking to dwindling oil prices, Okonjo-Iweala said state governors did not allow Jonathan save for the rainy day, yet they are the ones complaining today.

“Some economists are very concerned for Nigeria, which could greatly suffer from the fall in oil prices. Others say the contrary, that its economy is strong enough to turn the corner.

“Both are right. But one thing saddens me. When I was finance minister the first time, the volatility of oil prices, and therefore state resources, cost at least three points of growth in the country.

“We then established a stabilisation mechanism and opened an account for the oil surplus, which posted up to $22 billion. In 2008, when prices fell from 148 to $ 38 a barrel, no one has heard of Nigeria because the country was able to tap into this fund. And that, I am very proud [of].

“When I returned to the department in 2011, there remained only $4 billion on this account while the price of oil was very high! I tried again to put money aside. The president agreed, but the governors did not accept.

“I suffered a lot of attacks from them and now that the country would really need this account, these same people accuse me of not having saved! If Nigeria had been more careful, we would not be here today. It hurts me. We have the mechanism, we had the experience, but we were prevented to act.”

Okonjo-Iweala further spoke on her childhood and the hardship she experienced first-hand, during the Biafran war.

“I grew up in a village in southern Nigeria where I grew up to eight and a half years by my grandmother. My parents were scholarship students in Germany and did not have enough money to take me with them.

“I learned real life, fetching wood, water. At five, I could cook. This life has given me strength and a strong character. The other experience from my childhood is the Biafran war (1967-1970). My parents lost everything. I knew what it was to have nothing more.”

,,,ThisDay Newspaper