Money laundering scandal:
AC seeks probe of Obasanjo’s aide
By The Sun Publishing
Wednesday,
November 8, 2006
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•Andy Uba
Photo: Sun News
Publishing |
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The Action Congress (AC) has called for a judicial investigation
of the charge of money laundering against President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Matters,
Mr. Andy Uba, in the United States.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by its media and
publicity committee chairman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party
said that such criminal charge against a top Nigerian government
official has dealt a big blow on the anti-corruption profile
of the Obasanjo administration.
The AC said that the revelation by American Department of
Homeland Security, Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement
that Uba illegally smuggled 170,000 dollars into the U.S.
with a Nigerian presidential jet on September 23, 2003 had
done an incalculable damage to the image of President Obasanjo
and Nigeria as a nation.
Stressing that the Federal Government could not afford to
sweep this allegation under the carpet, the AC said that Nigerians
deserved to know the details of the financial scam through
an independent judicial enquiry.
It added that Nigerians would not accept any attempt by the
presidency to parry the charges, like the strings of contract
scams in the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) under the chairmanship
of Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) chieftain, Chief Olabode
George.
"These revelations have wiped out, in one fell swoop,
whatever good image the present administration claims to have
brought to Nigeria since 1999, and revealed its much-vaunted
anti-corruption war as a selective battle targeted only at
the government’s opponents," AC said.
"It has also shown that the president and his cronies
have not imbibed the dictum, He who must come to equity must
come with clean hands," the party said.
The party also called on the EFCC to put its much-acclaimed
investigation prowess into gear by collaborating with the
appropriate US authorities to unearth all the details of the
alleged scam.
"We are surprised that the EFCC’s powerful searchlight
has not been beamed on this scam, and that the agency has
not been contacted by its US counterpart to help investigate
the case as was done during the PTDF investigation."
"If ever there was a chance for the anti-corruption agency
to prove it is not a willing tool in the hands of President
Obasanjo, that chance is here and now," it added.
AC said the questions that were begging for answers include:
What is the source of the thousands of dollars taken by Uba
on the presidential plane to the US? Why did Uba not report
the fund to US customs, in accordance with the US laws? What
is the meaning of the phrase "AL GULAM" stamped
on the currency (1,600 new $100 notes) deposited by Uba’s
front in the US? What is Uba’s annual income that he
will buy a $91,262.50 (12.9 million naira) car?
"The answers to these and other questions will go a long
way in revealing the true source of the funds involved in
the Uba scam as proceeds of corruption, as well as details
of the presidential cover provided for Mr. Uba to carry out
his nefarious activities," the party concluded.
While commending the media for this good piece of investigative
journalism, the AC said Nigerians would keenly follow the
government’s handling of the case and definitely not
allow it to be swept under the carpet.
Meanwhile, AC had described as weak defence offered by the
Presidency that the allegation was "lacking in substance"
and that it was from a "tendentious source", as
hasty, disingenuous and a great disservice to Nigeria.
"Suddenly, a case of money laundering involving a presidential
aide, a presidential jet, a presidential farm and thousands
of dollars that could be from the public treasury has been
tagged a non-issue by the same people who will rush to indict
an innocent man over a flimsy and cooked-up charge,"
the party said.
It also slammed EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu for trying to play
down the allegation by saying "no agency of government
was mentioned."
"It is amazing that Ribadu's famed agility has deserted
him when his boss is faced with a serious allegation bordering
on abuse of office. Well, in case he does not know, the presidential
jet allegedly used in smuggling the money is a public property,
while the source of the funds used in buying farm equipment
for Temperance Farms will be of public interest," AC
added. |
