Abank document has shown how former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, authorised the transfer of N12.5million from the state treasury to the personal account of President Muhammadu Buhari for yet-to-be-ascertained purpose.
The bank transaction, from the First Bank of Nigeria, and obtained by the Peoples Gazette, revealed that the money was sourced from the Ogun State Government Expenditure Account, 2017774754 and paid into the President’s account.
Ibikunle Amosun and Muhammadu Buhari
The transaction date was September 8, 2016, and was done through the state government expenditure account.
The document partly reads, “OGUN STATE GOVT. EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT 2017774754 9/8/2016, 10,000,000.00 NEFT FROM OGUN STATE HOUSING CORPOR/B O OGUNCREDITFBNOFFICE OF THE ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OKE MOSAN NGN
“OGUN STATE GOVT.EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT2017774754 9/8/201620 12,500,000 FIP: BR: 000013 /PRES.MUHAMMADU BUH/TR DEBIT FBN OFFICE OF THE ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OKE MOSAN NGN.”
From the bank records, it showed that Amosun, who was Ogun State governor between 2011 and 2019, transferred N12.5 million to Buhari’s bank account.
File Photo: President Buhari and Amosun
September 8, 2016, transaction was authorised from Ogun State Government Expenditure Account, which was reportedly under Amosun’s control.
It was also unclear whether or not a voucher was raised for the transaction. At least two officials in Ogun State accountant-general’s office said they could not trace any payment advice before the transaction went to the President.
“There is no voucher relating to any direct or indirect payment to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 in our filing system,” a senior civil servant at the accountant-general’s office told Peoples Gazette.
“It was possible that the governor did not raise a voucher before the transaction was processed.”
The officials said it was quite common during Amosun’s administration for money transfers to be done directly from the state treasury without requisite documentation, especially if the governor had a direct interest in such payments.
