In
an explosive interview with Premium Times, a onetime Minister, Musiliu
Obanikoro has said the only thing the Buhari led Government can do is to
extradite him from America and see if there are any charges he would face.
Obanikoro says he and his sons are innocent and not a single kobo can be traced
to their accounts. He also explained APC is as guilty as PDP because the money
spent in funding their 2015 election was Government money and he knows this,
because he was once in power. He however also made us understand he would be
spending a long time in the US.
Sit
back, relax and concentrate as you read the explosive interview where our one
time minister spoke in details. Oh I forgot, he even said there are some
secrets that would be nice for Nigerians to hear. We really can’t wait!!!
You
dared the government to seek your extradition in a statement you released a day
after your property was raided in Lagos, did you do that because you’re in
America or because you’re confident of your innocence?
You
know why I am laughing? Because they have trivialised government by all those
senseless propaganda that they’re perpetrating all over the place. These people
you’re talking about, they know they don’t have anything that will withstand
judicial scrutiny.
They
will never attempt any extradition. I, Musiliu Olatunde Obanikoro, am inviting
EFCC to petition America to extradite me to Nigeria. The whole world would now
see their charade for what it is. It is even good for everyone to know the
truth, including those who are sympathisers to the All Progressives Congress.
Because,
in Nigeria, you’re either on this side or the other side. But this American
system is unbiased. They’re neither for me nor for them. So, let them bring the
tissue of lies that they have put together and submit everything to serious
judicial scrutiny and let us see whether it will fly. I am inviting them to do
that.
Let
them tell us how APC elections were funded if it was not government funds that
they used. So why are you persecuting people that lost election and maturely
and showing respect for peace and tranquility of Nigeria submitted themselves
to the rule of law and accepted the verdict of the people and you’re now
turning around to witchhunt them?
Maybe
they’re trying to tell Nigerians in advance that if they lose elections they
will not let go. And I have two good examples to show that if the APC loses
election they will never hand over, they would rather destroy the system than
hand over government to the winner. My son was a victim in Lagos. We won
elections and they refused to hand over without blinking an eye. The
councillorship election of my son and chairmanship elections were won by the
PDP and they took everything away from them—just like that.
But,
as the saying goes, the law is like a sieve, so it can’t catch all offenders.
Similarly, if you’ve done anything to breach public trust as a minister, shouldn’t
you be made to pay for your actions in order to deter others from committing
similar offence?
My
brother, don’t let us be naive. There are petitions against [Minister of
Transport, Rotimi] Amaechi and there are petitions against [Minister of Power,
Works and Housing, Tunde] Fashola with the EFCC. They have decided not to touch
them because they are in government and they are in APC. We are all Nigerians,
are you telling me all APC members are clean? And I am telling you
authoritatively as someone who had worked extensively in security institutions
in Nigeria that government funds at the state level were used to help APC win
elections.
You
see, it is unfortunate that these people will use propaganda to destroy people
unjustly. And, in this month of Ramadan, God will visit them in his own way.
All
this time they were talking about, my son, Jide, was out of Nigeria. We have
evidence to show that he was not even in the country. We have evidence. That is
why I am telling them to bring the matter to a neutral ground where they will
subject it to proper judicial scrutiny. I am inviting them, I am begging them
in the name of God. Jide was not even near Nigeria throughout the period in
question. He was here in America when the whole funds they’re talking about
were released. My other son, Gbolahan, didn’t have access to that kind of
money. Did he work for government? How could he have that kind of funds?
Are
you implying that the EFCC plucked those figures from thin air, including bank
accounts and firms said to have been linked to your sons?
It
is unfortunate that the media in Nigeria are allowing these people to abuse
them. They’re not using you, they’re abusing you. Ask them to give you the
account details —since they have decided to try this matter in the court of
public opinion. Let them publish the account numbers publicly.
Why
not go to the Corporate Affairs Commission and obtain those documents there
independently?That is why I am saying ‘let them come and seek my extradition’
then we will see whether all the lies they’re propagating in Nigeria will fly
here.
It
is one thing to use their power to intimidate judges and compel them to do
things that ordinarily they wouldn't do. But because they’re trying to put
everybody in a cage, they will blackmail, they will intimidate just to arrive
at a desired conclusion. But luckily, God gave me the wisdom to seek more
knowledge after office, that’s why I am here in America and not in Nigeria for
them to persecute the way they’re persecuting others.
Tell
EFCC to give you all the documents of the company and account statements from
the banks. Let them publish everything in the papers. And anywhere you see
Obanikoro’s name, you should crucify me.
Neither
Jide nor Gbolahan has interest in Sylvan McNamara Ltd. or knows anything about
the N4.7 billion fleece?
I
am volunteering to pay for the publication. Tell EFCC to make them available
then you call me, I will pay to have it published in the papers for all
Nigerians to see. Not a kobo can be traced to me nor to my children. Not a
kobo.
There’s
a paper trail, this money was not just given in cash. There were bank
transactions according to them. At a time they claimed the money was part of
the $2.1 billion arms procurement funds. Now, they have changed it that it’s
from the National Security Agency’s imprest account.
Now,
assuming, but without conceding, assuming that it was from NSA’s imprest
account, does the law not allow the NSA to use its imprest as it pleases when
it comes to security? Does the law not allow that? Go and read their release
today, they said it was from the NSA imprest account. Let me tell you, I am not
defending Dasuki, he’ll defend himself. But in terms of security parlance and
the challenges we were confronted, N4.2 billion was too insignificant against
the threat that we faced.
I
worked as Minister of State for Defence and I know the meaning of imprest
account, so discretion is very key in this area.
I
am telling you and I am appealing to all Nigerians to also join me in asking
them to seek my extradition.
Did
your sons leave Nigeria because they knew the authorities were closing in on
them?
My
sons have really established persecution, politically. You cannot be releasing
something to the media for the past eight months and now you’re coming out to
release the same thing by yourself. Something that you have used to destroy, to
tarnish and reduce me in the public and going to my house without a valid court
order.
They
claimed I have forfeited my property, how can I forfeit a property without a
due process? You see, my brother, the danger we face in Nigeria is bigger than
what all of you are admitting. I am telling you, the danger you face in that
country, if EFCC can go to a magistrate and lie to them and get an order that
someone has forfeited his property, without a fair hearing? Without any letter
inviting him to come and explain anything? Without the judge seeking to know
the other side of the story before granting such forfeiture order? Nigeria is
in a great trouble, my brother. We are in serious trouble. This is worse than a
military era. Far worse than a military era.
I
am going to petition the National Judicial Commission on the activities of the
judge. I do not have any business account anywhere in the world. Since I don’t
have any business, you cannot trace any money to a business account. How can
you forfeit someone’s sweat without hearing from them?
Now,
talking about my sons. Let me tell you, Jide went for a course in Holland–let
me tell you, I want them to come to America, I am repeating myself– so that the
two of us can have serious judicial scrutiny. Jide went to Holland for a course
in fish farming. But it is convenient for the EFCC to go to a beer parlour shop
and be speculating. You cannot say people should not go and improve themselves
when they have interest.
Gbolahan
also has a very good reason to be out of the country. Gbolahan has a valid
explanation and a genuine and honest reason to be in America. But from what
we’re seeing now, we can tell that we’re in deep political trouble with the
government of the day.
Let
me tell you, I will not honour any invitation from the EFCC and neither would I
allow my children to be part of that charade.
Having
gone to my house without inviting me or inviting my children. They subjected my
grandkids, my teenage kids, my wife and daughter-in-law to this kind of
embarrassment, it is evident that I cannot get any fair hearing from them.
It
is unfortunate that they would jump fences into my residence in which there
were two-year-old, three-year-old, four-year-old-children. Every man deserves
fair hearing. You must have your day in court. Now taking that privilege away
from people and not dignifying them, to me, is not good.
You
don’t need any soothsayer or any pastor or any imam to tell you that they have
a predetermined position as far as this matter is concerned. Either officially
or unofficially, they have never invited me.
Let
me tell you something new today, about a month or two ago, we got a letter from
the bank that Gbolahan’s account was frozen. We went to court in Abuja. EFCC
came to court and lied that they never froze the account. Their deposition is
in court. Our lawyer, Onoja, has their deposition in which they said they never
froze the account.
So,
we have all the proof to prove in a fair judicial system that these people are
witchhunting us and that they’re persecuting us. We have sufficient evidence
and we will show it in the court of law. Let them bring anything they have. I
can show it to you that there is no where–whatever evidence they have–that they
can link me, Musiliu Olatunde Obanikoro, and my children directly to any of the
claim being made by them.
Why
did they lock up Femi Fani-Kayode? What did he do that their own campaign
spokesman did not do? This is someone who had no idea how money for campaign
was sourced. You also had a publicity secretary who paid the media just as Femi
did and he’d never been invited for anything. He who comes to equity must come
with clean hands. There’s a clear evidence that whatever the EFCC is doing now
is just persecution, political persecution. They have gone from arms money to
other things.
What
did operatives make away with when they raided your property and that of your
son? Has your family enumerated the items to you?
That
is no longer relevance as far as I am concerned. I have asked my lawyers to
challenge all their activities in the court. I am a law abiding citizen, but I
will not allow anybody–no matter how highly placed–to humiliate me, to rubbish
me. I have been in public office for more than 20 years and I have never been
found wanting. For them to call me a thief, it means a lot to me, even if it doesn't mean anything to them.
Every
of my properties can be explained. These were things acquired not when I was in
government.
Including
the exquisite vehicles and other valuables said to have been wheeled away from
your home?
Up
till now, they have not given us any court order to the effect of everything they've done. As I speak to you, they have not. Our lawyer was there today for
over four hours and they didn't give him anything.
Nigeria
is in trouble. If people of goodwill don’t stand up and ask these people to
follow due process–all I am saying is: follow due process. Nobody, should be
above the law, including the institutions that are saddled with the
responsibility of law enforcement.
If
all of us submit ourselves to the rule of law, that is when we will have
orderliness. We will not have orderliness when people trample on the individual
rights with impunity and knowing that nothing will happen to them. I want all
Nigerians to be patient and let us bring this fight against corruption to the
international arena and see how it would play out.
So
you’re going to remain in exile rather than submit yourself to Nigerian
authorities?
I
did not say that. I cannot say that. Nigeria is my country, a country that I
love dearly. What I am saying is that, once EFCC is made to conform with due
process, rule of law, fairness, equity I am prepared to submit myself and come
home.
We
learnt you recently graduated from Oglethorpe, yet you’re determined to remain
in the United States for a while, are you afraid of the president?
One
thing I know General Buhari does not have is tolerance for opposition. I can
say that anywhere. He does not tolerate opposition. You can see that this point
is quite evident in all his activities, even though it would have been in his
interest to allow opposition to thrive. If the PDP had killed opposition, they
won’t be in power today. Anyone that speaks against Buhari now is an opposition
and they will deal with him.
As
I am talking to you now, I am enrolled in a leadership training course. I am
also studying Spanish after which I intend to enrol to study French. I have
started Spanish now, I am learning Spanish now.
You
didn’t apply for a job, how are you sustaining yourself?
I
am an old man, who will employ me? People see old men as liabilities.
But
you have the skill, you’ve been educating yourself all over, after all?
Yes,
what I can do here is consultancy, and you have a lot of activities in that
aspect here. There are so many companies that are interested in public ventures
in Nigeria and they need people like us who have been in government to advise
and do paperworks for them so that they can have informed position as far as
their interest is concerned. There’s a lot to do here, actually.
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