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UPDATED: FG slams N156m corruption allegation against Atiku

UPDATED FG slams N156m corruption allegation against Atiku

The Federal Government has accused former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar of being a beneficiary of slush fund worth N156m which eventually led to the collapse of Bank PHB.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed stated this, Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while briefing State House Correspondents, on Friday.

Mohammed stated this while reacting to the recent visit by the PDP presidential candidate to the United States of America said he should return to the country and explained to Nigerians his role in the bankrupt of Bank PHB now Key Stone Bank.

He asked Atiku Abubakar to hurry back to defend his position in the huge corruption that led to the collapse of the bank.

Lai Mohammed however said his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari was not perturbed by the visit of Atiku to US,
The information minister had earlier raised concern on plans by the United State government to issue a visa to the PDP presidential candidate.

READ ALSO: PDP, Atiku opposition to Onnoghen’s suspension corrupt, criminal – APC

According to him, granting a visa to Atiku who has not traveled the US in the past twelve years will mean his endorsement for the 2019 general election.

“I have come to make few remarks about the recent visit of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party to the US. You can recall that few weeks ago, I did issue a statement advising the US government not to issue visa to Atiku.

“Remember also that in that same press conference, I also stated that it remains the prerogative of the US government to issue visa to anyone it deems fit.

“Let me say right away t we are not perturbed one bit that Alhaji Atiku Abukakar was able to secure visa to the US. As a matter of fact, he can go ahead and get the US Green card that will not save him from imminent defeat in the forthcoming election.

Lai Mohammed, however reminded Atiku Abubakar that the elections will be right here in Nigeria and not in the US.

“In any event, any time Abubakar returns home, he has questions to answer following the fresh evidence that we have that he benefitted from slush funds that led to the collapse of the former Bank PHB

The Minister revealed further that “ a document we have shows that he benefitted to the tune of N156 million from that slush fund.

Mohammed noted that Atiku’s involvement was revealed through an internal memo on the January 13, 2009, which reads “please refer for discussion your requested overdraft in favour of Atiku Abubakar for N156 million and deliver same to me. Please note that it must be delivered today(Jan. 13)

“ On the same date, another memo was generated to confirm—please confirm that the amount stated below be issued from Claremont Management Services account.

“And we have evidence here of the account mandate—the name of Atiku Abubakar; we also have a copy of the cheque in which the sum of N156 million was issued to Atiku Abubakar dated Jan. 13, 2009 and of course we also have statement of account within that period that confirms that this sum was actually paid into his account.

He noted that these are fresh evidence of his involvement in the collapse of Bank PHB, adding that “ We want him to stay as long he wants in the US but as soon he comes back; he has to explain to the electorates and to Nigerians what is his role in the collapse in the former Bank PHB.

“He can go ahead and get the US Green card; any time he comes back, he has questions to answer.

Recall that the Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, is confirmed to have arrived in the U.S after 13 years of abstaining from the country.

His Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibeh, who had earlier doubted the journey, on Thursday said in a statement that Abubakar arrived at 8:20 p.m. Nigerian time and 4:20 p.m. Washington D.C. time.

Abubakar, he said, would meet with the Nigerian business community in the U.S.

He is also expected to meet with U.S. government officials during the visit, Ibeh said.