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Atiku’s Clean Bill Of Health Over PTDF By Musa Ilallah
It is undisputable and a statement of fact that President Obasanjo was all out to stop Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s aspiration to take over the ruler ship of the country from him come May 29, 2007. He therefore set the ball rolling by constituting a kangaroo administrative panel headed by Bayo Ojo, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the federation which found him wanting in his supervisory role of the PTDF, consequently indicted him and forwarded same to the federal executive council for its ratification. Since the plan was aimed at giving some support to nail Atiku’s ambition in the bud,
Until last week’s appearance of the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF Kabiru Mohammed and his Assistant General Manager, responsible for Admin and finance, Areyinka Jolomi at the Senator Umaru Tsauri review committee of the mess called the Senator Ndoma Egba committee report on the PTDF last week, the impression created by President Olusegun Obasanjo through the Egba committee is that Atiku stands indicted for his corrupt role in his supervision of the agency.
If the confessions of the two PTDF officials are anything to go by, then Atiku has not done any wrong. Not to even talk of embezzling the fund’s money as is being put forward by the Presidency and other enemies of democracy in the country.
It is the official view of the PTDF officials that the only money the agency lost was as a result of the actions of President Olusegun Obasanjo when he granted waivers on restructuring to the tune of more than $315,000. This is largely due to the forfeiture of accruable interest from deposits in commercial Banks. It is the prerogative of the management of the PTDF to choose the banks and amounts to deposit.
Senator Tsauri committee found President Obasanjo wanting in respect of the incorporation of Galaxy Backbone where he gave his personal lawyer, Alfe Babalola N250million from the PTDF funds, purchase of computers for civil servants, rehabilitation of the Defence Industries Corporation-DICON, diversion of PTDF money amounting to N4.5million for the use of his library in Otta, opening 4 illegal accounts-Reserve account, inspectorate account and inspectorate account and independent revenue account. The committee however noted that the Vice President was only found guilty of one offence. Is that not heart warming at this point in time?
Also worthy of note is the fact that, as confirmed by the PTDF officials, the agency did not need any federal executive council, FEC approval to deposit its money in Banks.
On the much talked about $23.75million deposits in TIB Bank, now Spring Bank, the officials took time to explain that not a single kobo of the PTDF was lost. In actual fact the Bank is presently making a monthly repayment of $2milion. So far, the PTDF had gotten back $23.75million from the Spring Bank.
To Atiku, his supporters, well wishers and other teeming Nigerians, the Vice President has come out clean of the attempt to drag his name in the mud as a result of the sentimental indictment the Ndoma Egba committee tried unconvincingly to paint him red and consequently call him unprintable names.
The ultimate aim was to smear his name and consequently deny him the chance to present himself for election to the Nigerian voters as their President in April this year.
Thanks to the foresight of Senate President Ken Nnamani for having the courage and wits to scuttle that plan and discredit its report by way of setting up a seven-man review committee headed by Senator Umaru Tsauri to do an unbiased and impartial job free of malice and vendetta. While the country will for a long time to come remember the foresight, doggedness, good leadership qualities of Senate President,
Nigerians will continue to see Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba as one self-centered, reckless and over ambitious Senator of the federal republic. He has failed to deliver in the strategic assignment given him by the Nigerian Senate to get to the actual root of the problems at the PTDF. The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA must sanction him for his scandalous and unpatriotic role in the Senate adhoc committee of the PTDF. He is no doubt, a disgrace to the NBA and the legal profession in the country.
One must come to the conclusion that the attempt to paint Atiku as a corrupt official of government who had done so many bad things in the PTDF is therefore untrue, unfounded, malicious, null and void. It is just politics and nothing more. Atiku has been vindicated by the review committee report. The report has finally cleared him of any wrong doing.
Atiku’s political enemies have not succeeded in their attempt to derail him from his aspirations to rule the country.
MUSA ILALLAH NO 20 C HADEJIA ROAD KADUNA
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