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Jonathan, Diezani, Obuah probed over $6.9m phony acquisition

The trio of former President, Goodluck Jonathan, his Chief Security Officer, Gordon Obuah and a former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke- are being probed over the $6.9m alleged purchase of three mobile stages.

A document obtained by Punch Newspapers, from the Presidency on Saturday, revealed that the deal was carried out by the trio, with funds withdrawn from an account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

The money- $6.9m (N1.37bn) was reportedly withdrawn for the purchase of three pieces of 40-feet mobile stages for use by Jonathan during mass public speaking events.

The amount of the stages were said to have been “incredibly inflated” and there is also no evidence that the stages were acquired, the document further revealed.

The phony deal was carried out towards the end of 2011, a few months after Jonathan won the presidential election.

 

The document read, “While the cost of mobile stages ranges in sizes and designs, only outlandish rock star musicians in Europe and the US spend hundreds of thousands on their huge stages way bigger than the 40-feet stages.

“Even then, those musicians and superstars would not pay over $2m per stage, according to industry sources.

“The process of procurement of the three mobile stages was neither known to extant Nigerian laws and due process regulations nor were the offices of the Auditor-General and the Accountant-General in the know, according to the investigators.”

 

“By the next month, an NNPC payment voucher, number 3840336, was already in place, revealing that the money was released.

“NNPC directed that the money be taken from one of its accounts in New York CITIBANK with sort code CITIUS 33, and Routing number 021000089.

“It was first routed from the US bank to an NNPC account in Zenith Bank account number 5000026593, Maitama branch in Abuja, from where the money was sent to a private account.

“The sum of $6.9m was then credited to a Sterling Bank account of one J. Marine Logistics Limited, Abuja, a company investigators said was registered by Obuah.

“The CSO himself, according to investigators, has not been able to show proof of the purchase and his memo irked his bosses at the SSS that he took the initiative to write requesting for the stages, an action which officials said was way above his pay grade.”

 

“The former President approved the procurement of the mobile platforms without due process and bypassing the Procurement Act; neither was there an appropriation in the 2011 budget for such facility,” the document quoted investigators as saying.

“Investigators say this is just one of the several instances, where the Jonathan administration used secret NNPC accounts to fund many questionable projects and for alleged personal financial aggrandisement.

“Already, the CSO has been questioned over his role and activities in the Jonathan Presidency. It will be recalled that he was arrested, detained, questioned and later released.

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