- Millions of civil servants have gone without salaries for the past couple of months as Nigeria’s reserves were diverted to politics
by Obinna Akukwe
The multi-billion naira gifts that the ruling party shared to all manners of groups to purchase endorsement for the incumbent Nigeria’s leader Goodluck Jonathan should be returned, if the thieves who collected the money have any conscience at all. This money belongs to the Nigerian people and those who induced the outgoing president to give bribes for votes at the expense of the suffering masses of Nigeria should return them before the fire of God fails on their lives.
Leading the pack of those who scammed Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP of billions of naira is the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) This body allegedly collected N35 billion naira from Jonathan’s cronies on the pretext of sharing such to pastors, priests and ministers all over Nigeria to label opposition candidate Buhari an Islamist, and ask their church members not to vote for them. Happily, some of us, with the help of some priests, pastors, reverends, were able to silently diffuse the lies and declare those that collected the money agents of Baal and servants of Balaam.
Senior gospel ministers in Abuja and environs believe that N35 billion naira was released from ‘the villa’ but only N10 billion naira was declared. They want to know what happened to the remaining N25 billion naira. While others especially in the South were told that it was N10 billion naira, the opposition party put the figure at N6 billion. However, the money shared to pastors, which was monitored from various sources, was above N10 billion naira, including those reserved for ‘super men of God’. Whosoever collected the N35 billion bribes should return the excess change that remains. This body is led by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) was alleged to have also collected their share of the ruling party bribe. They were alleged to have collected N12 billion naira meant to ensure that in remote villages, Jonathan was given enough votes spread around the North to get the mandatory 25 percent. A week after the postponement of the February 28th polls, crisis broke out among leaders of JNI, where they accused their leaders of declaring only N5billion out of the N12 billion naira alleged bribe. JNI is led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Abubakar Saad .Those who collected the money on the behalf of JNI should return such.
A faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo was allegedly given N5 billon naira which infuriated the Igbo intelligentsia and out of disappointment that their leaders have sold them again, the Igbo Delegates Assembly (IDA) in the 19 northern states and Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the 19 northern states also refused to endorse Jonathan. The first tranche of the N5 billion naira bribes was shared at Chelsea Hotel Abuja on the night of January 12th while the second tranche was shared at Ohanaeze Secretariate on the 3rd of February amidst serious fracas. The sharing formula has been condemned by Igbo leaders and Ohanaeze Chieftains including Chief Chekwas Okorie, Chief Mbazullike Amechi, Chief Raph Obioha, Dr Dozie Ikedife among others This body is led by Chief Gari Igariwey. They should return the balance not shared to the Nigerian people.
Afenifere, having been informed by their Ohanaeze counterparts that there is excess money to loot, went for Jonathan’s jugular and they allegedly collected N9 billion naira. An infuriated Governor Fashola of Lagos, in reaction to the bribes said that ‘the South-west leaders betrayed the Yorubas because of money, saying the money “is blood money. Posterity will judge them for that action,” Their money for endorsement stance also brought condemnation from various Yoruba leaders. This body is led by Pa Fasoranti. They should return the balance of the bribe back to the people.
The two factions of Oodua Peoples Congress were settled with extra billions of naira which nearly caused problems between them before PDP settled the money sharing rancor. Reports have it that the two factions were settled with N3 billion naira each. They justified the loot by unleashing mayhem on Lagosians ahead of the polls. Please return the unspent balance back to the Nigerian people. This group is le by Dr Frederick Fasheun and Mr Ganiyu Adams.
Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafra (MASSOB) having gotten hint of the OPC billion naira bonanza, promised to help the ruling party sack Prof Jega of INEC, and they collected their own billions of naira. They spent a few millions on protest and thuggery and ran to the bank with the rest. The National Publicity Secretary of APC, Lai Mohammed put the money shared to these three militias at N9 billion naira. According to Lai Mohammwed “N9bn was recently paid out to the OPC, MOSSOB and a few others to scuttle the polls”. This sum is too much for some groups of thugs. Please return the unspent back to the people. This group is led by Chief Raph Uwazurike.
When Jonathan’s men saw that defeat was imminent, following the postponement of the polls earlier scheduled for February 28th, they allegedly mobilized over$ 5 billion dollars through Nigeria’s oil minister, Diezani Madueke with the purpose of bribing traditional and religious leaders of Northern extraction. To this effect, and from my estimate, close to N500 billion naira was shared in the19 northern states, especially North East and North West. ,Malams, Emirs and notable politicians in the north smiled to the banks. However, the mood of change was too hot for them to woo voters. The propaganda that Buhari may die in office did not convince the northern masses to give Jonathan a second chance. This money was shared mostly in dollars and it helped shore up the price of the naira to dollars. The balance running into billions of naira should be returned to Nigeria’s coffer because poverty is too much.
While northern traditional rulers and politicians got over N500 billion naira, their Yoruba counterparts got over N200 billion within three weeks of Jonathan’s financial bonanza. Oba’s and other politicians were assembled and given dollars, between $ 100,000 to 500,000 dollars were given, depending on status. PDP Chieftains also stole Jonathan silly.”
Garba Shehu, APC Campaign spokesman, fearing that the excess money can bring about victory for Jonathan said that “President Jonathan has been criss-crossing Nigeria giving an average of N50 million each to traditional rulers, most especially in the South West and the Northern parts of Nigeria. This week, the President’s campaign money is being shipped to the North. Letters in English and Hausa backed by millions in cash are being dispatched to willing rulers in the region.
“Religious leaders, trade unions, youths organizations, professional bodies, entertainers are not ruled out of the money sharing jamboree of President Jonathan.”
At least, those in the South West tried to deliver their states, justifying part of the loot. But N200 billion naira for few persons is too much. Let them return the balance unspent ho help alleviate poverty in the land. .
Some traditional rulers from Igbo land, hearing about the bazaar in the North and South West, cried foul and they were assembled like chicken at Owerri and settled with another paltry sum of N5 billion naira at the last minute. These people did not betray Jonathan; they delivered, even though nobody voted for Jonathan in the South East on account of any Traditional ruler. Though the amount is small, and might have been spent on Emergency Ofala festival, the remainder must be pooled together to alleviate poverty in the land.
Another group of thieves known as Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and Goodluck Support Group (GSG) have already finished spending whatever they scammed out of that unsuspecting President who trusted people who have not his interest at heart. These two groups between themselves scammed Jonathan of over N100 billion naira. They also went on to scam other various groups, numbering about five thousand, who registered with them of billions of naira. A former governor of Anambrs State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, though a Jonathan apologist, openly condemned the criminal tendencies in TAN. They have already finished buying houses with the loot, however, whatever is remaining, should be returned, no matter how small. Poverty is too much in the land. EFCC recently arrested some members of GSG who hid hundreds of millions of naira in their houses.
Capturing the extent of the Jonathan bonanza, APC claimed that over a trillion was spent in few weeks. According to APC statement from Mallam Garba Shehu “We will like to bring to your attention and that of Nigerians how the President Goodluck Jonathan led Peoples Democratic Party government is wasting one trillion naira that belong to Nigerian people in his self-serving and desperate bid for a re-election at all cost in the midst of grinding poverty his party and government has subjected Nigerians to in the last 16 years.”
Those who scammed Jonathan, Diezani and the Nigerian treasury of trillions of naira between February 28th and March 26th should please return part of the loot. CAN, JNI, Afenifere, Ohanaeze, OPC, MASSOB, Emirs, Obas, Ezes should please take note and act accordingly in the interest of the nation. If you cannot return it to the next administration, rechannel that loot to charity and poverty alleviation programmes in your neighborhood as soon as possible, and reduce poverty in the land.
Those members of CAN, JNI, MASSOB, OPC, Ohanaeze and Afenifere who collected Jonathan’s multi billion naira gifts for votes, have committed sin of stealing, according to the Bible in Exodus 20 vs 15, they should return such, either directly to the next government, or through purposeful charities and poverty alleviation programmers in their respective communities, before the anger of God, who delivered Nigeria from their hands, falls on them.
Obinna Akukwe