‘Metuh said Jonathan was impressed with me’ – Witness

Olisa Metuh

As the trial of the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh continues, another witness has been brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the prosecution.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on Janaury 15, arraigned Metuh and his company, Destra Investments Limited on a seven count charge of fraudulent receipt of N400m from the NSA office in November 2014 and money laundering involving separate sum of $2m cash transaction.

As its fifth witness, the prosecution led by Sylvanus Tahir presented the Managing Director of CMC Connect, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya whose company carried out media publicity and “image management” for the PDP and ex-president Goodluck Jonathan leading up to the 2015 general elections.

Badejo-Okusanya revealed to the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang that he received a gross total of N77.5 million through Destra Investments Limited in December 2014 for his job.

Badejo-Okusanya told the court “My company, CMC Connect had done some work for the PDP under the chairmanship of Dr. Nwodo, who was desirous of repositioning the PDP as a vehicle for national transformation. A substantial part of that work required communication which is what we deal in.

“The work which started in 2010 stopped abruptly ended when Dr. Nwodo resigned as chairman.

“We had some outstanding not paid then, so when Metuh became the spokesperson for the party we met him he said he  liked the work we did then, but that, unfortunately, the party had no money to pay us so as to continue with the work. He promised that he would compensate us and that that whenever opportunity arose he would call us. That should be in 2012.

“In November  2014, he called asking me where I was. He said I should come down to Abuja to attend a meeting and I obliged. On arrival at Abuja, I went to his house and he drove me to the Presidential Villa where we met a meeting in progress. The meeting was presided over by former President Goodluck Jonathan, his Vice President, the Chairman of the party, Muazu, the Senate President, David Mark, presidential communication team, comprising Doyin Okupe, Reuben Abati, Prof,. Alkali, and others. The meeting was on how to go about the last election.

“In the course of the meeting, Metuh introduced me as a communication consultant and that I had worked for the party before. He then asked me to speak.

“I proceeded to speak what I considered very frankly, to Mr. President. Without going into the whole details, I said I felt should point out to him the critical things he had to do to get the election right.

“The President asked me a couple of questions and I specifically, remember telling him that there was a disconnect between his government and the people. He seemed to take everything in good faith and asked us (including Chief Metuh) to go.

“The next evening, Chief Metuh called me. He said it seemed we have made an impression on the President, that he had asked him to coordinate the initial campaign plan for presidential and general election for PDP.

“So we set about with the plan and I was meeting him (Metuh) severally on the ideas we had about how we can position the party in the minds of Nigerians.

“Throughout November 2014, we were unable to do anything meaningful because, according to Chief Metuh, the funds were unavailable to prosecute whatever ideas we had.

“I remember him telling me severally that contrary to what most people felt the party wasn’t awash with money and he shared with me some of the constraints he had in his work.”

He confirmed however that payment of  N77.5 million in two tranches with N7.5 million transferred to CMC Connect’s account on December 1, 2014 and the balance of N70 million made on December 15, 2015 was made.

When asked “if the first defendant (Metuh) called you telling you that the President was impressed, the first defendant was acting for the President,”  Badejo-Okusanya responded by saying, “That was what he told me”.

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