PARIS, APRIL 23, 2016: (DGW) - NIGERIA'S anti-graft body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has frozen Fani-Kayode's account as investigations continue into the money received in the run-up to 2015 general elections.
Fani Kayode while protesting his innocence said he knew nothing about the withdrawal of the cash from Nigeria's apex bank or funding of the Jonathan's campaign by the embattled National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki.
A fiery angry Fani-Kayode in a statement dared EFCC to do their worse adding that he is only accountable only to the former leader and not the EFCC since the money in question was not from public coffers.
The statement read:
“Our funds were given to us by the President who was the leader of our party through the Director of Finance of the PCO and we were not in a position to inquire into the sources of funding of the party's campaign. Indeed, it was not our responsibility to do so.
“Once I got these clarifications and confirmations, I agreed to receive the funds into my bank account and use them for their stated purpose.
“The transfers were made and I used the funds to carry out all our operations during the course of the presidential campaign.
“It was an aggressive and well-run campaign and we gave our opponents a very hard time indeed. It was also very expensive and we barely had the resources that we really needed, but we did an effective job with the little we were given.
“The whole nation, including our friends and our enemies, can bear witness to that and they saw the excellent quality of our work. Hardly anyone can dispute this, yet some fail to appreciate the fact that such a strong showing costs a lot of money. Media and publicity campaigns cannot be run on goodwill alone. You need cash and plenty of it.
“During the course of the election and after its conclusion, I submitted detailed accounts of our expenses and evidence of our work to the Director of Finance of the PCO for onward transmission to the Director-General of the PCO and ultimately President Jonathan himself about how the money was spent and they were satisfied.
“Given the fact that these were not public funds, the only legal body that can inquire into our expenditure of campaign funds is President Goodluck Jonathan who set up the PCO.”
Continuing, he said: “I cannot sit by silently as my name is dragged through the mud in this way and I am convicted in the court of public opinion. This has happened to me once before and it took me seven years to clear my name. It will not happen to me again.
“Consequently, I am constrained to take this opportunity to state the facts of this matter, set the record straight and await my traducers and accusers to make their next move. It is indeed time to challenge those that are making these allegations and to kill the lie.
“ The fact that my bank account was frozen on the orders of the EFCC two weeks ago without any explanation is proof of the fact that I am being targeted and that those that seek to have their wicked way with me are about to pounce.
“Given this, it is important that all the relevant facts are put before the world before I am subjected to the Dasuki treatment, put away indefinitely and not given the opportunity to defend myself before the public. Meanwhile, in their usual manner, after this is done, the EFCC will then flood the media with all manner of lies about my so-called atrocities which only exist in the figment of their imagination.
“The allegation of fraud and the receipt of public funds from the National Security Adviser's Office and Central Bank into my bank account are false. “These allegations are baseless, wicked, shameful and irresponsible. It is not true that any money was paid into my account by or from the National Security Adviser's Office, the Central Bank of Nigeria or any other government agency or institution last year or at any other time.”
”As the Director of Media and Publicity of the Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organization, I was asked to submit a budget for my Directorate by Chief Tony Anenih, the Presidential Adviser to the Presidential Campaign Organization and Mrs. Nenadi Usman, the Director of Finance.
“My team and I prepared the budget and it was approved. “Rather than collect cash, for security reasons and the purposes of accountability, I was advised by the Director of Finance to open a bank account for this purpose, which I did.
“The funds were paid into that account in instalments at the beginning of last year by the Director of Finance and each deposit was authorized and approved by the Presidential Adviser to the PCO, Chief Tony Anenih.
“The account that they used to transfer the money to me was a private company account which was owned or under the control of the Director of Finance.
“It was the same company account that was used to send money to all the other Directors of the PCO and the Zonal Directors, State Directors and all our PDP governorship and legislative candidates during the various campaigns. “ When I asked about the sources of the funds, I was told by the Director of Finance that the funds were sourced from private individuals and private companies who opted to support and fund President Jonathan's campaign. She told me that no money was paid into her company from any government official, account or agency. This she told me in the presence of witnesses and I believed her.
“ I was told that there was a fundraising event held by our party (PDP) which took place in early January 2015 in which billions of naira were raised specifically for the Presidential campaign. I believed this to be true and I had no reason to doubt it.”
Femi-Kayode was appointed Director of Media and Publicity for the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organization by President Goodluck Jonathan in January 2015, an appointment which he said, he accepted wholeheartedly and worked to ensure victory for his former boss.
More. http://dailyglobewatch.com/index.php?url=2016%2F04%2Fbreaking-i-wont-be-cowed-into-silence-fani-kayode.html
